


Baby, Baby

by loveandpeace



Series: For Worse or For Better [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Ushijima Wakatoshi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Dubious Consent, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Older Characters, Omega Tendou Satori, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, Time Skips, Unplanned Pregnancy, UshiTen is endgame, Who's Tendou's Baby Daddy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-08-21 23:10:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 70,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8263919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveandpeace/pseuds/loveandpeace
Summary: Tendou Satori may have been an Omega, but he had never been what was considered the stereotypical Omega. He wasn’t tiny or petite, wasn’t considered attractive by any normal means, and he sure as hell hadn’t ever wanted to start a family of his own or be claimed as some Alpha’s mate. (Unless that Alpha was Ushijima Wakatoshi.) He was perfectly fine with how his life was, thank you very much.But sometimes things don’t always work out the way we think they should, and Tendou finds this out the hard way as he deals with the consequences of one intense night during an unexpected heat.





	1. Forever Young

The first thing Satori heard as he slowly came to consciousness was a soft voice, full of concern speaking to someone else who was apparently there.

“Are you _sure_ he’s alright?” Ah, that one belonged to Semisemi. He’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“Of course,” And _there_ was Wakatoshi. “He was perfectly fine once I brought him to my family home last night and got him into the guest room.”

Well, he figured now was the time to find out just why they were talking about him as though he were on the brink of death or something worse. A hiss escaped through clenched teeth as sunlight poured into the room and hit Tendou directly in his face, and he began to blearily blink and look around at his surroundings.

“Ah! He’s waking up! Tendou!” Suddenly, Semi was in Satori’s line of vision, leaning down with something akin to relief on his face. “Are you alright? You scared the shit out of me when you disappeared on me last night!”

Last night? Tendou’s brow furrowed as he tried to sit up, hissing and clutching at his head as he did so. “Ahhh shit… That hurts,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

“I believe you are still feeling the residual effects of your heat,” Wakatoshi stated calmly, leaning toward Satori and offering a glass of water to the Omega who appeared to ignore the gesture completely.

His heat? Wait... Tendou’s brows raised as it all suddenly came rushing back to his memory. The fact that his heat had suddenly hit him out of nowhere at the party for Wakatoshi and the others who had made it onto the national team like that, and everything that came after his heat hit him… Satori felt his face flush slightly as he remembered what all had happened, and _who_ all he had run into.

“O-Oh, right. Yeah, last night was crazy, huh?” Satori gave a half-hearted grin in an attempt to get the concerned stares off of him, to try and alleviate their worry for him. Sure, he had been reckless in the past when it had come to his heats and the partners he had been with during said heats, but that didn’t mean his friends had any reason to worry about him.

“I swear, I’m alright! C’mon Semisemi, turn that frown upside down! You wouldn’t want to get wrinkles too soon and scare your poor mate, would you?”

That seemed to distract Eita as his entire face colored and he snarled. “Why you-!” Semi lunged and tackled Tendou to the bed while the redhead cackled the entire time.

“Now there’s the Eita we know and love!” He was slowly starting to feel more like himself, even though the heat still wasn’t entirely out of his system yet. Tendou reached a hand out to Ushijima. “Join us, Miracle Boy!”

Wakatoshi merely sighed and shook his head. “Satori, you know you cannot keep doing this, being reckless during your heats like you have been.”

Wait, what? Tendou frowned before forcing himself to sit up. “What the hell are you talking about, Wakkun?” Surely he was joking, right?

Semi sighed before sitting upright as well. “You know what he’s talking about, Tendou. We’ve all been worried about you for years, what with you doing who knows what with who knows who during your heats,” Semi shakes his head. “And after you disappeared for all those hours last night during the party, can you really blame us for being worried?”

Actually, yes, he really could. “What and _who_ I do is none of your damn business. I thought we had gotten all past this!” What the hell was going on?

“It’s different now, Tendou. Everyone is going and doing their own things, living their own lives and we can’t be looking out for you anymore because of it!” Eita tried his best to look angry, but the torn look on his face gave away his true emotions. “Hayato and I, we’re moving back to Miyagi,” he finally murmured under his breath.

Satori’s eyes slowly widened. “You are?” A grin broke out across his face. “Hey, that’s great! It’s what you two’ve always wanted, right? Move back home to start a family of your own and all that jazz. Good for you two!” He clapped a hand across Semi’s back, genuinely happy for the friends that had found happiness in one another. “I’ve got dibs on being the Omegan godparent when you two do have pups, right?”

“Satori,” Ushijima’s voice was low, soft yet commanding as he managed to gain the attention of both Omegas. “I will no longer be around either, as I will soon be on Japan’s national volleyball team. Are you certain you will be fine on your own? You have no Alpha of your own, after all.”

 _Well, maybe if_ you _would offer yourself to me, I’d be more interested in taking a mate_ , he thought bitterly to himself before quickly giving a thumbs up. “Look Semisemi, Wakkun, I know you guys are worried and stuff, but have no fear. I’ve already been working full-time at the hospital now for almost a year and living on my own ever since Hayato and Eita decided to finally do the dirty deed.”

Satori ignored the indignant squawk that came from Semi. “You act like I’m incapable of making smart decisions. Really, Wakatoshi, I thought you’d have had more faith in me.” He tried to come up with a sad puppy-like expression.

“Ah, I did not realize I had spoken out of turn. I apologize, Satori,” Ushijima tried to remedy the situation while Semi rolled his eyes.

“Don’t buy his bullshit, he’s just screwing with you.”

Tendou’s tongue slipped out of his mouth before he snickered. “But Semisemi, screwing is what I do best!” Eita in turn, slapped a palm to his face and groaned, bemoaning why he even said such a thing.

Wakatoshi shook his head. “This is simply not true, Satori. I may not know how your prowess is in the bedroom, but you are a wonderful middle blocker and from what I have heard, a very talented nurse as well.”

Satori howled in laughter while Eita threatened to leave him right there. Wakatoshi merely looked between the two.

“Did I say something odd?”

 

* * *

 

Satori would swear to the fact that he had never been so sick in his life before. He had been just fine when he had come back to Tokyo from Miyagi after the party for Wakatoshi several weeks back, but the past several days had been nothing short of shit-tastic, managing to almost immediately empty the contents of his stomach anytime he would manage to get a meal down.

“Tendou? Are you alright in there?”

And there he was, the angel of the intensive care ward, one Sugawara Koushi. Satori groaned as he slowly got to his feet.

“Tendou?” Sugawara tried again, concern evident in his voice.

Satori threw the bathroom door open, trademark smile on his face. “And good morning to you too, Koushi~! Lovely day so far, isn’t it?”

Koushi frowned, hand planted firmly to his scrub-clad hip as he looked Tendou up and down. “It would be, if you weren’t running to the bathroom constantly. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Tendou moved past his co-worker, waving a hand flippantly. “Yeah yeah, no worries. Probably just something I ate that was bad. So! Did you and your big bad Alpha daddy catch that latest episode of One Piece? Man, was it awesome or what?!”

Suga sighed and reached out to grab Tendou’s shoulder. “What’s really going on, hmm? You’ve been sick the past two weeks straight and everyone’s starting to notice. I’m really getting concerned about you.”

The redhead’s eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to tug his arm free of the other’s grip. “Not sure what you’re worried about exactly, but I feel fan-fucking-tastic!”

“I just,” Suga bit his lower lip, glancing around before murmuring. “You’re constantly sick, been late to work four times already in the past week, and you’re exhausted all the time! I hate I even have to ask but…”

Satori felt his head tilt to one side as he watched his friend fumble for something in his pocket, shoving it into Satori’s own palm.

“When was your last heat?”

The question posed to him was as though cold water had been thrown on him and Tendou stood, frozen in place as he tried to find the words to retort with. He managed to tear his gaze down to the box in his hand, beginning to shake at what it was he was holding.

A pregnancy test for Omegas.

“What the fuck, Sugawara?!” Tendou did nothing to hide the fury from his voice, hissing as he nearly crushed the box in his hand. “Why would you even give this to me?! I don’t fucking need it!”

Suga quickly shook his head, hands in front of him in a defensive position. “Just answer me when your last heat was and I’ll gladly take the test back! I just think that if there’s even the slightest possibility, then you need to know!”

Satori grumbled as he tried to calm down, tried to remember just when it was his last heat had been. Well, he knew he had been due a heat… At the beginning of this month. Alright, but that didn’t mean anything, his heat last month had been…

Late as well. He hadn’t had a heat last month either.

The redhead shook his head furiously, trying to reason with himself for missing two heats back to back. “I-I’ve been stressed, that’s all! There’s no way I’m… That I’m…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say that most detested word.

Satori stiffened as he felt a gentle touch on his back, glanced over to find Koushi giving a sad smile. “If that’s true, if there’s no way that you could be, well, expecting,” Satori winced at hearing it. “Then just take the test. If it’s negative, I’ll never again bring it up.” Koushi managed a grin as he made an X over his heart. “Cross my heart.”

Tendou grumbled under his breath before shaking his head. “Fine. But you’re gonna feel so damn stupid when I rub it in your face.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Sugawara chuckled as Satori slammed the bathroom door back shut to take the test.

Scratch what he had thought about Suga earlier. He wasn't an angel, he was a damn devil in disguise!

Inside the closed room, Satori fumed. What did Sugawara know? Just because he was almost two months late for his heat didn’t mean shit. His heats had been irregular once or twice in the past, and this was more than likely another case of that. But just to make his co-worker happy, he’d piss on the damn test and then shove the negative result in his face.

Nothing to it, just wait a few minutes and the negative would be clear as day. Seriously, why was everyone so damn worried about him? He was a grown-ass Omega who had been taking care of himself ever since his younger years.

He had always been careful in the past and he was definitely smart enough not to get knocked up.

The timer on his watch began to go off and Tendou grinned. “Let’s see, come on and show me that beautiful negati-” No, wait, this couldn’t be right. The test had to be faulty. Yeah, that had to be it! Just where had Koushi gotten the damn test from?

Grabbing the box, Tendou felt all the color in his face drain as he realized it was indeed a test from the hospital itself. The chances of a hospital test being wrong were… Satori swallowed hard before slowly turning his attention back to the test on the sink.

And there on that stick, staring Satori right in the face as though mocking him, were two bright pink lines. Of course, he being a nurse knew exactly what that meant, even if he didn’t want to admit it to himself.

“Fuck,” he softly cursed.

 


	2. All I Can Do is Keep Breathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of abortion/termination of pregnancy mentioned throughout the chapter. No actual termination takes place, but you may want to skip the middle portion of the chapter if it upsets you (much like it did me writing it).

It was official. His life was over at only 23 years old. Who knew it’d end up this way? His life as he knew it had ended after one careless moment.

“Hey, don’t get so down. It’s not like this is the end of the world, Tendou-kun!”

He groaned, shaking his head which was currently buried in his hands. Yeah, he could speak for himself. Not like Betas could get knocked up like fucking Omegas could. Satori groaned, unclenching his fingers from fiery locks in order to turn and give Sugawara a doleful look.

Honestly, what was he going to do?

“Look, I know it seems like the end of the world…” Suga slowly began, patting a gentle palm to Tendou’s back.

There was no way in hell Satori could raise a kid!

“But I’ve got a friend who can help! She’s a social worker and deals with this kind of stuff all the time.”

After all, he was the last Omega alive who should ever be a parent, and everyone he knew would agree with him.

“I can give you one of her cards. Really, this isn’t as uncommon as one might think it is.”

If only there was a way to rid himself of the problem…

“Really, it would be much easier to deal with a social worker one-on-one yourself and have some idea of what your options are than to go through something like this alone.”

Alone. That was right, he was all alone to deal with this fucking problem.

Tendou’s gaze turned to his abdomen, glowering and absolutely seething with rage. How could this have happen to him?! It wasn’t like he deserved to be saddled with a brat! Alright, maybe he had been a bit of a shit himself back in high school, especially when he had pranked his kouhai and Semi during their training camps by wrapping the toilets with saran wrap. And maybe he had been a little too sure of himself with his guess technique during matches and rubbing it in their opponents faces…

Wait, what had been the point he had been trying to make? At any rate, he had always been so careful before, so why after one screw up did he have to wind up… Like this?

He still refused to say the dreaded words that would confirm his worst nightmare. Because then that would absolutely make it true, make it real that this was happening.

Angrily shaking his head, Satori plopped down at the station he and Suga shared, rifling through the business cards in the rolodex they had. There was no way he was going to deal with this shitstorm by himself if he could help it. There had to be an easy fix and he was going to find it!

“Um… Tendou? What exactly are you trying to find there?”

Barely giving Suga a fleeting glance, he again began to flip through the cards until he found the one he needed. “Lookin’ for the number to that Omega clinic downtown.”

Koushi stiffened, eyes wide as he looked down at his co-worker. He wasn’t serious, was he? An Omega clinic? “Satori,” he whispered, looking over his shoulder before taking the chair next to Tendou’s. “I know it seems like that may be your only option at this point, but can’t you think this through some more before making such a rash decision?”

Tendou snorted. “Nothing rash about it. I don’t want this thing, so I’m going to have someone take care of it for me.” It was simple really. He wasn’t cut out to be anyone’s parent, so why put any spawn through all that pain? Why put himself through all that?

“But what about giving the baby away?” Suga’s voice was pleading with Tendou, noting the way he winced. “You don’t have to keep it yourself, but there’s no reason why you should immediately terminate when there are lots of families who’d want to adopt it! Besides, what about the father? Shouldn’t you at least let the Alpha who did this know what’s going on?”

Satori hesitated at the mention of the Alpha who had knocked him up. “Er, about that,” he rubbed a hand against the back of his neck before mumbling something under his breath.

Koushi blinked. “What was that?”

Satori groaned, trying to speak up and confess just why he couldn’t let the Alpha know.

Suga shook his head. “I didn’t hear you that time either.”

With a throw of his arms, Tendou snarled out. “I don’t know who the father is!” He sighed as Suga’s mouth slowly opened in an agape manner. “Yeah, that’s right, I’m so damn slutty that I got knotted by not one, but TWO different Alphas at that party that night!”

He groaned and let a hand run down his face in frustration. “Even if I wanted to let the Alpha know, I wouldn’t even know which one was the actual father. It’d just be best to get rid of the problem all at once and not have to deal with it anymore.” Tendou shrugged as though that were the end of that.

The ashen-haired Beta’s eyes narrowed, refusing to accept what he was being told. “But if you’d just talk to Kiyoko-san, I’m sure she could help you find a home for your pup!”

“Just drop it!” Tendou slammed his hands onto the counter, swiveling in his chair to glare at Sugawara. “I’m not keeping this thing and after my shift this afternoon, I _will_ be going to that clinic to see about getting rid of this little shit, and that’s it!”

Satori wasn’t about to let anyone try and guilt him into something he knew he didn’t want. Standing to his feet, he walked around the nurses’ station. “I’ll see you around, gonna make my final rounds for this shift.”

“But, I just think you’re making a rash decision without really thinking everything through…”

Suga could save his breath for all Tendou cared. He turned on his heel and headed down the hall toward the first of his patients’ rooms. Later that afternoon, he’d be free and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do or say to change his mind. It was his life, and no one or nothing was going to keep him from living it the way he saw fit.

 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, Tendou found himself sitting in one of the exam rooms of the Omegan clinic. Glancing around, he saw posters on how to prevent diseases and other things. All in all, it seemed like a nice little set-up they had going on there. Not like it was some seedy back alleyway, this was pristine and seemed to be as sterile as they came. Seriously, why was Sugawara so worried about him?

“Tendou-san?”

Satori blinked, glancing up to find a kind-looking Beta ultrasound technician standing in the doorway. He gave a quick grin before nodding. “Yeah, that’s me. Ready to get this over with!” He tried to laugh, but it wasn’t as intense as it normally was. Not because he was nervous or anything silly like that.

The technician chuckled before shutting the door behind her. “I’m sure you are, but we still need to do a general examination first, make sure you aren’t too far along in the pregnancy where we can’t help you.” She motioned to the exam table. “I’ll need you to lay back and lift your shirt for me so I can give you an ultrasound to determine how far along you actually are. If you’re early enough along, then we can give you a pill that should effectively terminate the pregnancy within 24 hours.”

That made Satori pause, slowly staring down at his stomach before shaking his thoughts aside before laying back and doing as she instructed. He shivered as the cool gel was applied to his stomach and he tried to squelch any thoughts that tried to pop up.

“Alright,” she hummed to herself. “It looks like the fetus is about eight weeks or so along, which means we can give you the pill if you so wish. It will force your body to end the pregnancy and will be much like having a miscarriage would be.”

Tendou blinked before turning his head, glancing at the screen that the technician was looking at. He was a nurse, he knew all about the lifespan of an unborn fetus, and if he was really at eight weeks then that meant… “Little arms and legs,” he murmured, eyes widening just slightly at what he saw.

The pup that was inside him, with two tiny little nubs for arms and two teeny tiny nubs for the legs. It was already that far developed, and so…

“I wanna hear its heartbeat,” tilting his head up, he noted the way the technician’s brow furrowed, opening her mouth to say something but Tendou cut her off. “I know what I’m doing, and I wanna hear the heartbeat. I know it can be heard this early, even if it’s not so strong right now.”

“Are you sure, Tendou-san? Hearing it may cause something chemical within you and make you feel something maternal that you normally wouldn’t find-”

Satori’s eyes narrowed. “Just let me listen to it,” he snapped, suddenly irritated with the entire process. The Beta gave a weak smile before nodding, and soon Satori heard something that made his heart swell for some foreign reason.

_Thump. Thumpthump. Thumpthumpthumpthump._

There it was. That little thump thump sound was the pup’s heartbeat. It was so soft, but so strong and rapid, a heartbeat that told him this pup would be strong someday…

Satori quickly shook his head, sitting straight up and wiping at the gel on his stomach. “I can’t do it,” he managed to choke out as he wiped at his eyes. (Damn allergies, that was all it was. Definitely not tears or anything of the sort.)

The technician stood as Satori got to his feet. “Are you certain? You don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with, after all.”

He quickly waved a hand, suddenly feeling too claustrophobic in that room. He had to get out of there and had to get out right then. “Y-Yeah! Sure, why wouldn’t I be sure?”

“Well, you _are_ a single, unmated Omega…”

“That doesn’t give a shit about any of that ‘Omegas can only be worth something if they have an Alpha’ bullshit.” Every instinct within him was telling him to leave immediately and he reached for the door only to have a hand gently tug at his arm.

“If you really are sure, then you may want to keep this,” the Beta murmured, smiling softly before slipping a piece of paper into his palm. Satori glanced down to see it was a still shot of the pup inside him, an ultrasound.

Nodding his head, still staring at the picture, Satori fled the room and the clinic. Not once did he look back.

 

* * *

 

Sawamura Daichi was a patient Alpha, as patient as one could ever possibly hope for. So when he found his mate in tears when he came home from a late practice, it took every ounce of that patience within him to keep from going out and hurting whoever it was that had hurt what was his.

Once Daichi got the entire story, he was able to deduce that Koushi was all out of sorts due to the fact that his co-worker (one of their former high school rivals, no less) had decided to terminate an unexpected pregnancy. Daichi understood all too well that Betas were more of a caring breed, they had more empathy for the situations of others and that was exactly why Omegas tended to lean toward Betas whenever they were going through any kind of crisis. They were the level-minded ones, the ones they could count on and trust fully.

It seemed that his poor mate was a bit too caring and compassionate when it came to this particular situation and it wasn’t as though Daichi couldn’t blame him.

He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by an unexpected knock at their apartment door. Grumbling, he slipped on a pair of slippers and made his way to the door. “Coming, coming,” he muttered before opening the door to find a rain-soaked Omega standing outside their apartment, his eyes red-rimmed as though he had been crying while stuck outside in the torrential downpour.

Said Omega gave a half-hearted smirk while shuffling his feet in place. “H-Hey, if it ain’t Suga’s big Alpha daddy. Um, is Suga around by chance?”

Now, Daichi was usually the type to welcome anyone he recognized into his home, but this time… Dark eyes narrowed as he tried to pull the door close just slightly. “And why are you looking for Koushi, Tendou-san? I was under the impression that you didn’t need my mate’s help and you could handle yourself just fine.”

Satori winced, gaze darting off to the side. “Yeah, guess I deserve that one,” he huffed, jamming his hands into the pockets of his drenched coat. “I just, I kind of realized I may need a bit more help than I first thought. Can I talk to him at least?”

Daichi’s guard was completely up, not wanting to let anyone that had caused his mate any kind of pain anywhere near him. “I’m just not sure I want you to upset my mate even more than you already have,” he cooly bit out, definitely not enjoying the way Satori began to bounce from one side to the other during the uncomfortable silence.

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll just, um be going then, I guess.” Tendou shrugged, glancing over his shoulder as though to see if it was still raining, which it definitely was.

“Daichi? Who’s at the door?”

The Alpha groaned as Suga pulled the door ajar just a bit more. “Koushi, it’s alright. I’ve got this handled.”

Sugawara blinked as he stared at Tendou, who in turned lifted a hand and wiggled his fingers at the other. “Hey… Lovely weather we’ve got going on, am I right?”

“Daichi! What are you doing? Let Satori in already, it’s raining cats and dogs and he’s obviously drenched!” Ignoring the protests of his mate, Suga dragged Tendou in and almost threw him against their sofa. “What are you doing here? I thought,” he paused before gently biting his lip. “I thought you said you were going to be at the clinic.”

Tendou stiffened at the statement, swallowing hard before giving a nervous laugh. “Funny thing about that,” he slowly began, sniffling some. “I just, y’know thought it over some and well…” He shrugged, refusing to look either Beta or Alpha in their eyes. “You still have your friend’s contact info?”

The last thing Satori expected was to have Suga tackle him and nearly squeeze the very life out of him. “Wh-What’re you-”

“I hoped you would change your mind! I promise you won’t regret it one bit! We’ll help you out as best as we can and should you change your mind about giving it away, then we’ll be here for you then too!”

“Kou, please, I think you might be being a bit too rough,” Daichi chuckled, gently tugging on his mate, who eep’d and quickly released a blue-looking Tendou.

Satori quickly inhaled a deep breath, trying to get his breathing back on track before shaking his head. “L-Look, I’m not going to be changing my mind about giving the little shit away.” Suga looked as though he were about to protest, but Tendou continued. “I still have no desire to be anyone’s parent, I’d be shit at it and all, so let’s get that straight. I want to make sure the kid has a nice home, so if your friend could help out…”

Suga had stopped paying attention, now speaking softly to Satori’s abdomen. “Don’t you worry,” he murmured, a bright smile on his face. “We’ll make sure you’re all taken care of, and I’ll be here every step of the way to make sure your mom doesn’t eat anything unhealthy or do anything stupid. We want you to be strong and healthy when you come out!”

Daichi groaned and Satori stared before slowly shaking his head. Ah hell, the next several months were going to be the longest of his life if Sugawara Koushi had anything to say about it.

And it appeared Suga had every intention of having giving his say-so in this pregnancy whether Satori liked it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will show Tendou's progression with his pregnancy! I'm so looking forward to writing all of that!
> 
> UWAHHHHH. This chapter completely messed me up writing it out! (And I wrote the majority of it after church.) I'm the worst. 
> 
> Also, I'm in love with good guy Suga. He's the bestest friend an Omega could ever have!
> 
> Feel free to let me know what you thought of this chapter, but please be gentle with my fragile, little soul~! 
> 
> Come scream about volley-babies with me on my tumblr!
> 
> love-andpeace.tumblr.com


	3. There Ain't Nothing I Gotta Prove

Satori had never planned on ever getting pregnant, so the duration of his pregnancy was… An eye-opener for him, to say the least. During his first trimester, he had had to deal with random bouts of morning sickness and unusual cravings. Not so bad in Satori’s opinion, he could live with that.

Then came the second trimester, and with it came the weight gain and insane bouts of emotions. One minute he’d be happy and on top of the world, and then the next, he’d be plopped down in a chair and bawling his eyes out over the most trivial of things, like a video on pandas for instance. And now, now he was in the third trimester, the end of the eighth month and in his mind, the final stretch of this damned pregnancy.

Currently, Satori found himself glaring at his pronounced belly, silently willing the pup inside him to stop moving around so he could get some of his work done. And did anyone really know how hard it was to find maternity scrubs? Not so damn easy at all. And he couldn’t even see the floor for how big his stomach had gotten! The more he sat there and contemplated the many events of the pregnancy, the sourer he became, until he heard a soft chuckle that made him lift his head.

Sugawara sat in the chair next to Tendou’s, grinning from ear to ear before placing a hand to Tendou’s belly. “Aww, are you giving your mom a hard time? Give him a break, at least wait until you get out of there to be a little terror.”

Satori snorted before leaning back in his chair, hands propped behind his neck. “I keep tellin’ ya that you’re wasting your breath. I’m still not planning on keeping him. Gonna let Shimizu-chan find a good home for him and take him away as soon as he comes out.”

Something in Suga’s eyes changed. “Him? I thought you weren’t interested in finding out the sex?”

Ah crap. Tendou quickly shook his head to try and fix things before Suga began to assume anything. “I haven’t! I just,” he shrugged. “It felt weird to keep calling the kid, ‘it’. Y’know? Besides, it’s not like I actually know, just a feeling I’ve had. Especially with the way he kicks, it’s like a damn mule’s beating me up in there!”

It seemed Suga still wasn’t convinced. “If you say so, but I’ve said it from the very beginning that I think you’d make a better parent than you’re giving yourself credit for. It’s been scientifically proven that pups, no matter what their orientation ends up being, always do better with their Omegan birth parent. It has to do with that instinctual bond that they form in the womb.”

“And it’s also been proven that pups that wind up being adopted can end up being just as adjusted to their lives without either biological parent around. You can’t out-nurse me, Suga-Mama. I know my shit just like you do.”

He smirked at the pout Suga gave him before glancing up to find one of the newer physicians-to-be quickly walking by their desk. Before he could be stopped, Tendou called out to the all-too familiar face. “Yahoo, Iwa-chan~!”

The individual in question froze in place, shoulders stiffening. Suga tried his hardest to stifle the laugh that threatened to bubble over, tried even harder to keep a straight face as one Iwaizumi Hajime turned around to scowl at the two nurses.

“Hello, Sugawara, Tendou.” Satori wiggled his fingers at the young physician, shit-eating grin in place.

“Nyah, don’t be so cold to us, Iwa-chan! You know we’re your favorites!”

“Don’t call me that,” Iwaizumi snapped, face coloring slightly as he seemed to realize the mistake he had just made.

Tendou’s lips turned down into a pout. “I see, only your dearest Oikawa can call you that then?” Satori let out a wistful sigh. “What a lucky Omega then. You’ll have to tell him how lucky he truly is when you get to see him next.” And of course, it didn’t fill him with glee to see Iwaizumi’s face slowly flushing a deep red color. He was a kinder person than that.

Both Tendou and Sugawara were surprised several months earlier, to find that Iwaizumi was finishing his residency at their hospital, trying to decide which field of medicine he wanted to work in. Of course, Tendou had given the other nothing but grief every time he saw the Alpha, but it was all in good fun. Both nurses had been completely shocked to discover that Iwaizumi’s mate, Oikawa Tooru, though he had made it onto the national team, had been benched for the next playing season.

The fact that it was due to Oikawa’s unexpected pregnancy made it all the more surprising.

“Speaking of Oikawa,” Suga slowly began, leaning against his arms. “How’s he coming along? He should be in his third trimester, right?”

Tendou tried to swallow the feeling of bitterness that bubbled in his gut when he saw the soft smile that adorned Iwaizumi’s face. He wasn’t jealous, not one bit. He was absolutely not planning on keeping his pup the way Oikawa and Iwaizumi were, so definitely no need to be upset at all.

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi pulled his phone from his pocket, showing the pair the newest ultrasound picture of his child. “We had decided not to find out the sex originally, but during our last visit, Tooru decided he couldn’t wait anymore. It’s a boy, and Tooru blubbered the whole time, he was so happy.”

Suga beamed as he stared at the picture. “Congratulations! I know Oikawa must be going stir-crazy, not being able to play this season, but it’ll be so worth it in the end!”

Iwaizumi chuckled before taking his phone back. “Yeah, it’s what I keep telling him, but you know how he is.”

Suddenly feeling the need to stand and stretch, Satori got to his feet and bent backwards, trying to alleviate the stiffness in his back. “But just wait until he gets toward the end of it all, he’ll be ready for the kid to come out like there’s no tomorrow. These last few weeks have been hell on me!”

Iwaizumi frowned as he stared hard at Tendou’s belly. “…and you’re sure you aren’t going to keep your pup?”

Damn, what was up with everyone trying to get him to keep the kid? He laughed and waved a hand flippantly. “Nah, the whole parent life ain’t for me. It’s bad enough this has pretty much ruined my body, but what kind of support system would I have? Before you even try to answer that, let me tell you that I would have no one.” He gave a slight shrug, ignoring the looks the other two were giving him. “No Alpha to help raise him and no Alpha would look my way twice with a kid, so more than likely he’d be picked on mercilessly,” he held one finger up. “My own family won’t have anything to do with their shameful Omegan son,” a second finger was held up. “I’d have nothing to offer him, haven’t been collecting any kind of supplies or furniture or any of that kind of stuff he’d need. It’s just for the best to give him up.”

Iwaizumi remained silent while Suga appeared unconvinced. “Alright, if you’re really sure…”

“I am!” Tendou’s trademark smile widened. “You’ll see! And speaking of seeing…” He glanced behind Iwaizumi, glancing over to give Suga a conspiratory glance.

“Iwa-chan!” Iwaizumi once again cringed at hearing the nickname, this time looking over his shoulder to find his very pregnant mate hurrying up behind him.

“Tooru,” Iwaizumi whirled around, grabbing his mate by the shoulders and looking him up and down. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

Oikawa snorted before giving a roll of chocolate eyes. “I’m fine, Iwa-chan, and so’s our pup! I came here to see you because practice got cancelled on account of Tetsu-chan possibly having a broken leg. He’s down in the emergency room as we speak, and so is the rest of the team!”

Tendou snickered under his breath at the cheery way Oikawa delivered the news about his teammate. It was at that moment that Oikawa looked over at the two nurses.

“Ah, Refreshing-kun and Tendou-chan,” and there was that fake smile he so loved to give. More than likely, it was meant for Tendou and not Sugawara, it just so happened that the Beta was in the presence of the wrong company. 

“Yo,” Satori gave a half-salute in response while Sugawara waved. “How’s it going, my fellow pregnancy pal?” He so loved the way Oikawa appeared ready to retch at that nickname. “Well, I would _love_ to stay and play catch up, but I have rounds to make. So if you all will excuse me…”

Tendou stepped around the desk, giving finger guns to Suga and the mated pair before beginning to walk (or more appropriately, waddle) down the hall.

“Satori?”

The Omega stopped mid-step upon hearing the one voice he so loved to hear, but had hoped would never find him in the condition he was in. Maybe if he didn’t respond, didn’t turn around and kept on walking, he’d just think he was mistaken.

“Satori, I know that is you. I did not think that you would be working on the same floor as Oikawa’s mate.”

No, he wasn’t going to acknowledge that he had been recognized. It just wasn’t fair!

“Satori, why have you not been responding to my calls? Or Eita’s? He seems to be very concerned about you.”

It was then that Oikawa’s shrill voice broke in. “Maybe he doesn’t want to be bothered with you! I know I can’t stand looking at your face every single day!”

“Tooru,” Iwaizumi hissed. “Don’t start with that right now.” Ah, the ever-loving, doting mate there to stop his Omega from doing anything foolish.

Tendou shuddered as he drew in a deep breath before slowly turning, giving a weak smile and a half-wave to the Alpha who had been the object of his affections for so long. Placing his hand atop his distended belly, he finally acknowledged the Alpha. “Hey there, Wakatoshi-kun. Long time no see, eh?”

 

* * *

 

 

Ushijima Wakatoshi was a man of few words when it came to situations that he did not understand. He was more than blunt when it came to the game of volleyball and his teammates, as Oikawa Tooru had told him on many occasions.

But this, discovering that one of his only true friends was unexpectedly with child, Ushijima had no clue how to best approach the situation as he now sat face-to-face with Satori while the Omega quietly ate his lunch.

“…are you getting enough nutrition?” It was Wakatoshi that finally broke the silence, and Satori looked up from his burger to give him a blank stare. He cleared his throat, rubbing his hands against his knees as he opened his mouth to speak again. “Are you eating enough for both yourself and the pup? Surely you know as a medical professional that you must be eating enough protein to ensure the pup’s health and to also ensure a safe delivery.”

It was a minute before Tendou finally gave a slow smile. “There’s the Wakatoshi I know,” he chuckled. “Yeah, I’m eating plenty for both of us, trust me.”

“I see,” was all Wakatoshi could seem to muster up in response. “And are you working too much? You do not want to work too much and possibly risk-”

“Wakkun,” Satori gently interrupted before stuffing another fry into his mouth. “Why did you want to take me to lunch? I hope it wasn’t to give me all kinds of medical advice I probably already know about.”

And there lay the quandary with Wakatoshi. Why _had_ he demanded that Satori go to lunch with him, especially while his teammate, Kuroo was still in the emergency room? Admittedly, seeing that Satori was expecting had shocked him, but he wasn’t the first Omega he had seen pregnant and undoubtedly he wouldn’t be the last Omega either.

There was a pause before Ushijima finally spoke again. “You are expecting.”

Satori blinked before reaching down to rub at his stomach. “Yup, and surprise surprise, it’s a human baby too. Well, there’s a slim chance that it could be the spawn of Satan, but y’know, won’t know til the kid decides to pop out.”

Wakatoshi frowned as his gaze went to Tendou’s stomach. “It is more than likely a human child you are carrying, but that is not what I meant by my statement. I merely was trying to figure out… How is it that…”

The Omega’s smile widened. “Are you trying to ask me how I got knocked up? C’mon, I know you had to have paid attention in that sex-ed course we took. Alright, lemme break it down for you. You see, when an Omega goes into heat and an Alpha just so happens to be around…”

“How could you not tell anyone that you were pregnant?”

Wakatoshi as Satori wilted slightly, once again turning his attention to the leftover fries on his plate. The red-head shrugged. “Dunno, guess I just figured it wasn’t important.”

That answer wasn’t good enough for the Alpha. “But Satori, what about Eita? He has been extremely concerned by your lack of communication with him. And what of the Alpha who put you in this position? Surely he should have known to take better precautions when dealing with an Omega in heat.”

“Dunno about that either. Not sure which Alpha it was at that party that knocked me up,” Satori stated matter-of-factly before taking a long sip from his milkshake. “I know two of them knotted me pretty good, so it could be either of them. It doesn’t matter though; I’m not planning on raising this pup.”

The Alpha watched in stunned silence as Satori continued to eat his meal as though he had just stated what the weather was like. “You are not-”

“Nope,” there was emphasis on the p at the end of the word. “And I don’t really know why everyone keeps trying to get me to keep the kid. I don’t really want to raise a pup by myself anytime soon.”

Ushijima could only sit there, watching the Omega before an idea jumped to the forefront of his mind. “And what if I were to offer to be the Alpha father to your child? I could help you raise this pup if you so wanted.”

Satori’s choking and slamming down a gulp of his shake hadn’t been the answer Wakatoshi had been expecting when he made that offer. And neither was Satori’s jaw hanging open in shock.

“Y-You’re seriously offering…”

“I would,” and he meant it too. “You are my teammate, my friend, and I would hate for you to suffer from any kind of stigma from an unplanned pregnancy and then giving your pup up for adoption.”

Those didn’t seem to be the words that Tendou had wanted to hear. He hummed as though he were seriously considering the offer. “And what about love? Do you love me, Wakkun? You can’t just offer an Omega something like that without feeling some kind of way, right?” His gaze was hard and piercing as though he were testing Wakatoshi right then.

What could he do but be truthful? He gave a quick shake of his head. “I do not, but I would do anything to help a friend out in need. You have been valued by me throughout these years, Satori. If I could be of service then I would. You deserve better than to have to give away the pup you carried all this time.”

“Shut. Up.” He had had enough of hearing things that hurt him more than anything. Satori’s teeth were clenched together as he glowered at his one-time teammate. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about; you’re not an Omega so how could you know about what kind of ‘stigma’ I’d suffer?”

“Satori, I merely-”

“Stop it!” His voice was cracking, body began to shake from all of the emotions that were going through him at that moment. “I don’t need your damn pity! Why would I ever accept an offer for you to raise my pup with me when you just said yourself that you don’t love me?! How could that be healthy for any pup to see as it grows up!”

This was not at all how he had planned this to go. Ushijima slowly reached a hand out, gently touching the top of Satori’s before the Omega quickly wrenched it back. “I… I think you should just go.” He took a deep breath. “I gotta calm down, and I can’t do that right now if you’re still here, feeling sorry for me.”

“Satori, that is simply not true. I have never felt-”

“Please,” the pain in his voice was so raw as he finally softened his gaze toward Wakatoshi. “Just leave me alone for now. I-I promise I’ll call Eita sometime soon, just go.”

Wakatoshi sat there stunned, unable to hardly comprehend this course of events. As an Alpha merely wanting to help an Omegan friend in distress, he had only wanted to be of help; but if this was Satori truly wanted, then he would absolutely respect his friend’s wishes. “Of course,” he murmured, standing from his seat. “I apologize for upsetting you in any way. That was not my intention. All I ask is that you stay in touch, allow me to know how you are doing.”

Satori’s face remained covered by his hands, giving a shaky nod to indicate that he would keep contact with Ushijima. He waited until the footsteps had completely disappeared before pulling his face free, willing those damned tears to not fall.

“Damn it,” he hissed, cursing his bad fortune. He would have given absolutely anything to be Wakatoshi’s mate, to be with him always; so why was it the only time the Alpha of his dreams appeared interested in him in any way, shape or form, was when he was pregnant and alone? To make an offer to stick around just to be a parent to his pup, out of pity? It just wasn’t fair.

A soft kick came from his abdomen and Satori instinctively reached down to rub at the area. He was soon rewarded with another kick and then another. It seemed the pup knew when its mother was in distress and in its own way, was trying to comfort him.

Satori laughed weakly, rubbing slowly at his stomach before leaning back in his chair. Alright, so he wasn’t completely alone right then. “At least you’re trying to help me out,” he murmured. “Sorry if I got too emotional, but you’ve gotta let up on all those hormones. It’s really messing with me in a not-so-good way here.”

The response he got was another gentle kick and Satori managed a real smile. “Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *points* YOU get angst! *points* And YOU get angst! *points* EVERYONE gets all the angst! Hope y'all enjoyed that, cause it definitely won't be the last time we see some good old angst! 
> 
> Next chapter, we should finally get to meet Tendou's bundle of joy! Any guesses as to who Tendou's baby daddy is? Only I know for sure, but I'm curious to see what y'alls theories are.
> 
> Feel free to hmu on my tumblr to scream about our favorite Shiratori babies!


	4. Sweet as Can Be, Baby of Mine

_"What do you mean, you’re pregnant?!”_

Satori winced, pulling the phone away from his ear before once again speaking into the device. “Y’know Semsemi, I kinda hoped you’d be a little more understanding of me in my delicate condition.”

_“Understanding? Understanding?!”_ Satori could hear as Eita gave a snort of derision. _“I always knew you weren’t the brightest Omega in the world, but I never actually thought you’d get yourself in this kind of situation!”_

Wow, that kinda stung. Satori huffed, cheeks puffing out in frustration. “Oh yeah? Well, it sounds like someone’s overly sensitive today. What, ain’t Hayato giving it to you on a regular basis?” He snickered as Eita made an affronted sound.

_“You!”_

“Yes, me. Now can we get back to the point at hand? …Semisemi? You there?” Satori frowned as he heard what sounded like a sob, followed by the sounds of _‘It’s just not fair!’_ in the background.

_“Eita, come on, he can’t help it.”_ Well, there was Hayato.

_“No! I can’t help the way I feel! It’s not fair at all!"_ And there was Eita again, inconsolable from the sounds of it. 

Yamagata came onto the line, releasing a heavy sigh. _“Hey, Satori. Couldn’t help but overhear the news. Congrats, I guess?”_

A hand slowly reached up, rubbing at the spot where the pup was kicking at. “Um, thanks I guess… What’s up with Eita? He alright?”

The other end of the call stayed quiet for a few seconds before Satori heard Hayato speak again. _“Eita’s just a little emotional right now. He just had another miscarriage a few weeks ago, so I guess hearing about your pup upset him. Don’t put it against him, alright? He’ll be over the moon before long, once he’s had some time to calm down some.”_

Satori felt his fingers curl around the phone in an almost death-grip. _Another_ miscarriage? Exactly how many had he had? And how long had he been trying to have a pup of his own?

“That’s…” What could Satori say? ‘Sorry to hear about yours and your mate’s loss while I’m obviously very fertile? Better luck next time?’

_“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just keep trying as long as Eita wants to.”_

Tendou tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. “Yeah, right. I know you two’ll be great parents! And I’m gonna make sure I do all I can for you guys once you have a rugrat of your own!”

Hayato hummed in response. _“And what about you? You’re about to have one yourself, so why’d you wait so long to tell us?”_

He gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head even though no one else could see him. “Y’know, got busy, forgot to call is all.”

_“Too busy to call and say you’re pregnant?”_

“Hey, don’t judge! I can’t help that I’m such a hard-working… A hard-working, uh, nurse…” Satori winced, glancing down at his belly only to stiffen in place at the large puddle of water that was suddenly at his feet.

_“Tendou? Hey, you alright?”_

Alright? Oh no, he was anything but alright at that moment. “H-Hey, Hayato? ‘M gonna have to call you back. Something’s just come up.”

_“Oh? Call from work?”_

How he wished. “Not exactly, just kinda going into labor is all. Tell Eita I’ll get back to him later.”

_“…You aren’t kidding, are you?”_

He hissed under his breath. “Shit,” he cursed while trying to move toward the door. He’d be damned if he couldn’t even get himself to the hospital!

_“EITA! TENDOU JUST WENT INTO LABOR! …No, I’m not joking! …Yeah, I figured you’d want to go to Tokyo! Hey, Satori? We’ll hop on the next train and be there as soon as we can! Just hold on!”_

Satori snorted as he ended the call and made his way out of his apartment. Yeah, sure, he’d just keep this kid inside him until his friends made it, no problem.

A contraction hit and he could swear he saw stars right then. This was going to be so much fun...

 

* * *

 

 

Tendou groaned as another contraction hit him. “Damn it,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Just come out already!” He moaned and writhed on top of the hospital bed, unable to find a comfortable position. How much longer would it be before he finally had some relief?!

“It won’t be long,” the soft voice of the nurse was the only thing that Satori could make out in those moments. “The anesthesia should be taking effect any moment now, and then your doctor can begin the C-section. Are you certain you don’t want anyone in the room with you; an Alpha perhaps to help with the delivery process?”

Were he able to form coherent thoughts, let alone comment on how he had no Alpha of his own and no Alpha friends that would have been available on such short notice, he would have. If only to get that nurse to just shut up. All he could do was give a jerk of his head to indicate that there was no one.

“Shit,” he cursed with fingers clinging to the sheet beneath him. “It hurts so bad.” That was an understatement. This was unlike any pain Satori had ever felt before, and it slowly dawned on him that this was really happening. The pup that had grown inside him for almost ten months was finally about to come into the world.

And it seemed that the pain meds were finally kicking in, the pain was finally beginning to lessen and it felt as though time slowed down. Satori tried to regulate his breathing on his own, head lolling to the side. This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to happen. He wanted friends and loved ones there with him to share in this moment, wanted things that he had never once considered throughout the entire process… He wanted Wakatoshi there. Wakkun should have been the Alpha at his side during what should have been a wonderful moment.

This all felt so wrong. Why had this happened to him? Satori just wanted it to be an awful nightmare that he could finally wake up from. He just… All he wanted was to just…

“Satori?”

The red-head blinked, managing to keep his eyes open long enough to find Wakatoshi leaning over him, face clad in a surgical mask, impassive stare boring down into his eyes. “W-Wakkun? What’re you-”

“Eita called me,” a hand reached down to pat at Satori’s drenched locks. “He informed me that you had suddenly gone into premature labor, and I assumed that you may not have had enough time to allow anyone to come be here with you.”

Moisture began to form at the corners of Tendou’s eyes, managing a crooked smile. “Y-Yeah, I guess you’re the only one that’s gonna be here. Aren’t you one lucky Alpha?”

Wakatoshi’s brow furrowed as though processing the Omega’s words. “I do not think luck has very much to do with it. I would think that Eita had thought ahead to inform one of your friends that would be close enough by, since he is currently presiding in Miyagi with Hayato and would not be present.”

Satori weakly laughed. “It’s fine, Miracle Boy. I’m just glad you’ve made it in time.” He winced, gritting his teeth and blindly reaching for the Alpha. “Hurts,” he mumbled.

A sage nod was given as Wakatoshi offered his hand for Satori to grip. “Yes, I have heard that labor is quite a painful ordeal.”

Ah, leave it to Wakatoshi to make him feel _oh so much better_ about this. It wasn’t as though he minded Ushijima being there with him, quite the contrary. He felt so much at ease with the presence of an Alpha that he trusted with him, felt so calm that he hadn’t even realized when the actual surgery began until…

“It’s a girl!”

Satori was jerked from his inner musings at the sound of a loud, mewling cry and the declaration of his pup’s sex. “A-A girl?” Huh. He had thought the entire time that he was carrying a boy, but it looked like he had guessed wrong. The red-head tried to get a good look at the screaming pup as she was quickly surrounded by nurses and the doctor. 

“Yes, I saw her for myself just now and she is indeed female,” Wakatoshi informed him in a quiet voice, though his gaze wasn’t on the Omega, but rather on the pup itself.

Wait, why weren’t they letting him see his pup? Was something wrong with her? He needed to see her to see for himself if anything was wrong! She had to be healthy, right?

“Wh-Where’re they taking her?” He tried not to panic, but in his drug-induced mind, that internal instinct began to worry and fear for the pup he had just delivered.

Wakatoshi gently squeezed Satori’s hand, as though to reassure him. “I believe they are getting a weight and height on her; and also assuring that she is fully developed.”

He tried to open his mouth, tried to let out a protest, but found he was still far too weak from the anesthesia to say a single word. Satori wanted to see the pup. He wanted to hold her, to get a good look at her.

“…gimme ‘er. Lemme see,” he finally managed to slur out as he tried his hardest to keep his eyes open. And soon there she was, held right before him, all wrapped tightly in a bright white blanket.

“See,” the gentle voice of his nurse cooed to him. “Your pup is just fine, we’re just making sure she’s completely healthy.”

Even though her head was covered in a pink cap, Satori could see a peach fuzz underneath the hat. She’d have his hair, and already he could see her little face held so many of his own features. She may have looked like her Omegan parent, but to Satori she was just so…

“Perfect,” Satori gave a weak smile as he reached a shaky hand out to touch his daughter’s little cheek. “Hey, you. Yeah, I’m talkin’ to you. You’re my pup, and I’m your mom.”

Oh shit. His eyes widened as he realized that he’d just said the ‘m’ word.

His pup’s lip curled upward slightly as she mewed softly as she recognized her mother’s voice, her little eyes shut tight the entire time.

 

* * *

 

Satori grinned from ear to ear as Semi and Suga both cooed in awe over his pup. Wakatoshi had stayed and held the little girl for quite some time earlier before declaring he’d bring back food for Satori and himself and be back soon.

“She’s too adorable!” Suga cuddled the little girl close to his chest while Eita gave a soft smile.

“Who’d have thought you would have had it in you to make such a sweet pup?”

Satori snickered. “Isn’t that the truth? She’s too perfect for her own good. Why, someday she’ll be breaking all the hearts! I can just see it now!” His voice held all the love and pride it possibly could as he stared at his daughter. 

Eita laughed as the pup was handed to him. “Oh yes, just think of it as retribution for all the hearts you left broken in the wake of your sexual awakening.”

Satori pouted. “Hey! I wasn’t _that_ bad… Until college. And all those Alphas and Betas had it coming, I’m tellin’ ya!”

The other Omega’s eyes rolled as he slowly rocked the little bundle back and forth. “Ignore your mother as he’s completely obtuse. Now if you need counseling when it comes to romance, just come to me; I’ll make sure you know what you need to, oh yes I will.”

Satori hummed thoughtfully. “Might not be such a bad idea, actually.”

Suga’s gaze moved from Eita back to Satori, nervous as he spoke up. “I have to know, what with the way you’re talking… Have you changed your mind? About keeping her? You know you’ll have to give her up soon if you aren’t.”

A cold chill made its way up the red-head’s spine at the mention of giving his pup away. Surely he had more time to think about what he was going to do, right? He certainly had no intention of raising her himself originally, but once he had seen her, Satori just wasn’t sure if he could let her go.

“I…” His gaze moved to his daughter, watching her chest rise and fall in rhythmic breathing. “I dunno,” he finally mumbled. “Not like I haven’t been thinking about it some.” 

After all, how could he not grow somewhat attached to the little creature that had been taking up residence inside him for the past almost ten months? No matter what he may have originally said, he’d have to be completely heartless to not have feelings for his daughter as she kicked and nudged at him, after he had heard her heartbeat and seen her develop during each visit to the doctor.

And he could just imagine all the adventures the two of them could have. He’d be able to dress her up after all his favorite Shounen characters and cosplay right there with her. He’d have a reason to keep stocking up on all his favorite ice cream if he was able to share it with someone. And he’d never be alone again, he’d finally have someone that loved him unconditionally forever…

Eita stopped rocking the pup in his arms, glancing over at the phone that began to vibrate. “Looks like someone’s calling you.”

Sugawara reached for the phone, looking at the name before handing it over to Tendou. “It’s Kiyoko-san. Looks like you’ll need to make a decision, and fast.”

No, it was too soon! How could he decide what to do in a few minutes?!

Taking the phone with shaking hands, Satori answered the call and took a deep breath. “Ah, so good to hear from you again, Kiyoko-san!” He listened silently as Kiyoko then asked about the delivery and he had no choice but to answer truthfully. “Yeah, I delivered the pup, and she’s healthy and happy! …Yes, that’s right, a girl.”

He turned his gaze toward the little girl as she slept peacefully, unaware of what was going on around her, and it was in that moment he made his decision. “I’m sorry, Kiyoko-san. I’m afraid I’ve wasted your time. I’ll be keeping my pup and raising her myself!”

He heard Shimizu Kiyoko chuckle on the other end and admit that she had a feeling that Satori would be keeping his pup, told him he’d make a wonderful mother and wished him the best of luck. She spoke another minute to Satori before hanging up.

“So you’re keeping her?” Tendou stared dumbly at the phone in his hand before slowly grinning and staring at the Beta and Omega men.

“Yeah… I think I am.” And he felt at peace with his decision, completely and absolutely at peace. “Never thought I’d be the type to raise a pup, but I’m gonna do it.”

Suga gave a triumphant whoop. “I knew you’d make the right decision! And your pup is going to love you for it!”

Eita cleared his throat, nodding toward the still-asleep little girl. “That’s great and all, but what are you going to name her?

Tendou blinked. “Name?” Oh. That was right, he’d need to come up with something to call her, other than ‘sweetest little girl ever’.

His arms instantly reached for his daughter and Eita placed her in them. Well, he couldn’t just name her anything plain, it had to be perfect for her, had to fit her in every single way.

Sakura? Nah. Rukia? Nope, not that. Keiko. No way, not for his pup.

Finally as her eyes began to blearily blink and she stared up at her mother, it hit him. “Usagi,” he murmured before nodding. “Yeah, that’s it. Her name is Usagi!”

Eita groaned and slowly shook his head. “Only you would come up with the idea to name your daughter after Sailor Moon.”

“Yup,” he grinned proudly. “She’ll fight evil by moonlight and be the one and only Tendou Usagi!” The newly-named Usagi cooed and slowly closed her eyes, completely unaware of her mother gently booping her nose and whispering soft words to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update for y'all! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it! I'm home sick from work today, so I've spent the entire afternoon working on this update. May not get to update next week since I've updated twice in one week, but we'll just have to see how the next week goes. 
> 
> I've had a couple people to make guesses about the father of Tendou's sweet little pup, but I'm still curious to see what the rest of y'all think.
> 
> Come scream about Satori and Usagi, as well as anything haikyuu!!-related on my tumblr!


	5. Just a Little Green

By nature, Tendou wouldn’t have considered himself a worrier; he was just a go with the flow kind of Omega. However, now that Usagi had been born, it seemed that all he did was worry. He worried if he was feeding her enough, if she got the proper amount of sleep, whether he really was doing the best he could for her, and also if she was safe in the hands of others…

“Aha, Wakkun,” Satori watched with bated breath as the Alpha held little Usagi in his much larger grasp. “That’s not really the way you hold a pup.”

Ushijima’s lips turned downward into a frown before turning his attention back to the pup. “But this seems to be the best way to hold her. You have told me multiple times to support her neck and so that is what I am trying to do.” Technically he _was_ supporting Usagi’s neck, but the three week-old infant was being held with one hand under her rump while Wakatoshi’s other hand held fingers around her neck in a gentle, yet firm manner.

Satori gave a nervous laugh, eyes never leaving his pup. “Wakatoshi, you aren’t supposed to hold her like you would a volleyball. She’s not made of the same stuff a ball is, after all.”

The Alpha blinked before nodding slowly to indicate that he understood. “I see. Then what is the proper way? I believe you will need to show me again.”

“Well,” Satori leaned forward to show his friend the correct way, the safest way of holding his daughter. “It’s just like I showed you how in the hospital.” His hands moved to shift Wakatoshi’s arms, holding his breath as he slowly positioned Usagi in Wakatoshi’s arms until the pup was laying with her back against one arm, her little neck supported to Satori’s satisfaction.

“And this is the correct way to hold her?” Wakatoshi held Usagi as the little girl slept soundly and grunted in her sleep, completely unaware of what happened around her.

Satori finally felt like he could breathe again as he grinned and nodded. “Yup, you’ve got this, Miracle Boy!”

“Ushiwaka, you can’t even properly hold a pup! You seriously are the worst!”

“Oikawa, I have asked you many times not to call me that.”

Satori couldn’t help but snicker at the pair, while Iwaizumi glowered at his heavily pregnant mate and crossed his arms. “That’s rich coming from you, Tooru. When was the last time _you_ held a newborn pup? When Takeru was born?”

Oikawa let out an indignant squeak. “Iwa-chan!” Oh, how positively scandalized he sounded. “Just because I haven’t had much experience with holding babies, doesn’t mean that _Ushiwaka_ of all people is more qualified than I am to help care for one!”

“Actually, I believe I am becoming more adept at holding Usagi thanks to Satori’s guidance, and Satori has even allowed me to help with her feeding,” Wakatoshi calmly interrupted the quarreling pair and Satori laughed loudly.

When Wakatoshi had invited Satori and his daughter to come watch one of the national team’s practices, Satori had been more than a little hesitant at first. But once Iwaizumi had informed him that he and Oikawa would be there as well, he had seen no reason not to attend, especially since Wakatoshi had asked.

And seeing Oikawa become flustered as he was reminded of his own impending motherhood was just the icing on top of the cake.

“Hey, if you’re so worried about taking care of a newborn, why don’tcha get some practice in?” Satori smiled as he took his daughter out of Ushijima’s grasp and gently deposited her into Oikawa’s arms before the other Omega could protest. “Now make sure to support her neck and head, can’t have my pup with her head flopping about, ya know.”

“I know that much, I’m not completely helpless,” Oikawa snapped while he stared down at the small pup in what could only be described as a mixture of fear and curiosity. Usagi was still asleep, making little grunts and coos all the while.

Try as he might, Oikawa too fell under the spell of the tiny pup and whipped his head around, beaming proudly. “See, Iwa-chan? I can so take care of a pup!” The sudden movement jostled the baby awake and her eyes slowly blinked open; now Omega and pup stared at one another before Usagi began to squirm and whimper.

Satori grinned as Oikawa’s head whipped up. He looked positively terrified. “What do I do? She’s awake,” he hissed under his breath, holding the infant slightly away from him. “I think she’s broken!”

The red-head gave a sage nod, looking over Oikawa’s shoulder to stare down at his wriggling pup. “I think you’re right… The most logical conclusion is that you must’ve jostled her brain out of place. I’ve never seen her act like this before!”

It was at that moment that Usagi decided to open her mouth and let out a pathetic wail, letting everyone within hearing range know just how unhappy she was. Oikawa looked just as helpless as the pup sounded.

“I-Iwa-chan! What do I do?”

“Gee, Oiks,” Satori reached over to tickle at Usagi’s tummy, though the action did nothing to soothe the little girl. “Looks like your poor pup will be in for quite the ride once he gets here, won’t he?”

Oikawa paled visibly before glancing at Usagi again. “M-My pup? I… I’m ready for him! Of course! I think?” It appeared that his green-eyed mate wasn’t as sure though, reaching out to gently take Usagi into his own arms. “But what if… I’m actually _not_ ready? How could I ever let Tendou-chan beat me at being a better parent?”

“I swear, Tooru,” Iwaizumi muttered under his breath as he tried to pacify Usagi by rocking her gently back and forth. “If that’s how it’s going to be, then I’ll be the one taking full responsibility for our son.”

Satori laughed as he got to his feet. “Calm down, Oikawa. I’m just messing with ya; Usagi’s just hungry. I’m finally getting used to what each of her cries mean.” As much fun as it was to screw with Oikawa, Tendou knew he had to focus on making sure his pup was happy. He leaned down to grab her bag, rifling through its contents before pulling a bottle of formula out.

Usagi continued to mewl and cry with her head craning about in an effort to find a scent that she recognized, refusing to be mollified until she was once again in the familiar embrace of her Omegan parent and the bottle was in her mouth.

“There, there,” Satori cooed down at his cherub-like pup while she hungrily sucked at the formula. “That was all you wanted, wasn’t it? Mhm, yes it was, your Mama knows you best.” He murmured before planting a soft kiss to the top of peach-colored fuzz.

“I hate to interrupt, but we need to get back to practice again; so I’ll need to take Wakatoshi from you all.”

All eyes turned to the newcomer and Tendou’s smile widened at the familiar face. “Hiya, Kiyoomi! Long time no see, am I right?”

The individual in question’s cheeks darkened at the familiarity that Satori used, giving a stiff nod. “H-Hello, Tendou-san. I’m glad to see you’ve been doing well… And you’ve brought your pup too.”

At the mention of his daughter, Satori beamed in pride and held her up for the other to see for himself. “Yup! Usagi’s the greatest! Wakkun invited us to come watch your team practice, and at the same time, I’ve been testing Oikawa’s parenting skills. Still too early to tell if he passes yet or not.” Tendou grinned at the offended squawk in the background. “Ah, I’m just messing with him. He’ll do just fine, I’m sure of it! If I can make a somewhat decent parent, then I’m sure he will too.”

“I-I’m sure you’re doing better than decent when it comes to your pup, Tendou-san. I also think she’ll look just like you once she gets older.” The curly-haired Alpha stared at the pup in Satori’s arms before clearing his throat and stepping back. “Wakatoshi, we really need to start practice again whenever you’re ready.”

“Of course. I will join the rest of you shortly.” Wakatoshi nodded toward Sakusa, indicating that he was being dismissed. Satori waved with his free hand at the other, snickering as he nearly tripped over himself to get back out onto the court.

“I gotta admit,” Satori murmured as he placed Usagi against his shoulder to burp the pup. “Kiyoomi’s always been an odd one. Good guy and obviously deserves to be on the national team, but kinda hard to talk to when he’s always stuttering and nervous.”

Oikawa rolled his eyes as he struggled to get to his feet. “Well, Saku-chan’s doesn’t _normally_ act like that; I suppose it’s only when _certain_ people are around I see he becomes like that.”

“Tooru,” Hajime hissed. “Stop being a shit and harassing everyone. In fact, it’d be better if you just don’t say anything at all.”

“Mean Iwa-chan! I’m just saying is all,” Oikawa huffed with arms crossing, a pout forming on his face. It wasn’t his fault if people wanted to play the oblivious role!

“Isn’t this fun, Usagi~? Yes, I know you love listening to all the grown-ups talk about all kinds of silly stuff.” Satori beamed in pride as he watched his daughter coo at him before little eyes fluttered closed. “Now now, don’t fall asleep before we can even get to watch the rest of Wakkun’s practice. Ah, she’s already out. I don’t blame her though, it can get old listening to Tooru and Iwa-chan bicker back and forth. Can’t it, Usagi?”

“HEY! We do not bicker!”

“HEY! Don’t call me that!” The pair shouted in unison and shouted over each other, but Satori ignored them and instead opted to focus all of his attention onto his pup.

“Well, c’mon. We should go get closer to get a good look at the practice!” Securing his pup against his chest, Satori led the way with Oikawa and Iwaizumi trailing behind, still mumbling under their breaths. Even with her eyes still closed, Usagi gave a yawn and her lips curved upwards into a tiny smile. Her mother’s smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy the fluff, cause the angst will be back before you know it! There will also be time skips starting next chapter, so we get to see little Usagi grow up throughout the months and eventually the years. ^.^ 
> 
> Also... Isn't Tendou such a good mommy?? I love him so much. 
> 
> Feel free to stalk me on tumblr and scream with me about anything Shiratorizawa as well as my sweet muffin Usagi~


	6. I Will Not Break

Tendou sighed, eyes narrowing to slits as he tried not to snap at the individual his frustration was directed toward. “Now look,” he slowly began. “We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. Orrrrrrr the medium way, but if I were you I’d just stick with doing things the easy way.”

The five-month-old infant lying on the floor smiled at her Omegan parent before squealing happily. She squirmed and wiggled and flailed her arms about as though to tell her mother that she was far too adorable to just do as she was told. Satori sighed, unable to stay annoyed at his daughter.

“I get it, you’re just too cute for your own good,” he couldn’t help but smile as Usagi began to blow raspberries up at him. Ah, he loved his pup too damn much!

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was acting just like you.” Satori’s head snapped up to find Eita smirking down at both him and Usagi. “Think about it,” Eita continued while wiggling his fingers at his goddaughter. “Refusing to do something you’ve asked her to do multiple times, trying to get out of responsibilities by being cute and adorable, making silly faces and sounds…”

“Alright, alright,” Satori snickered. “You don’t have to tell me just how perfect my lil’ Usagi is, Semisemi. I know she’s going to be just like me when she grows up; isn’t that right, Usagi?”

Usagi let out an ear-piercing shriek before managing to flip herself onto her tummy. The pup squealed once more as she was suddenly being changed into an outfit. Now that was what she had been trying to avoid the entire time! Usagi began to whimper and squirmed in an attempt to stop her mother, but it was in vain. The pup opened her mouth in order to let out a loud wail, when suddenly…

“And there! All done!” Satori beamed at his handiwork of his daughter wearing a pink shirt and matching pants, her reddish hair held in two pigtails with little butterfly clips. Usagi looked less than pleased with the sudden wardrobe change and pouted until Eita leaned down and gently snatched her from her mother’s arms.

“Poor Usagi, you’re safe with me now. I won’t be mean to you like your mom.” Semi began to shift back and forth, smiling at the soft coos he got in return.

“Traitor!” Satori now sported a pout very similar to his daughter’s as he got to his feet. “After all I’ve done for you, and now you side with Semisemi!” Getting in Usagi’s direct line of vision, he continued with his dramatics. “I carried you inside me for nine months! I lost my once hot body in the process! All those lost hours of sleep just to feed you and change your diaper… Oh the humanity!”   

Eita rolled his eyes and kissed the pup’s temple while she gurgled and flailed her arms at her mother’s theatrics. “Just be thankful she wound up looking exactly like you; she could have ended up looking like the Alpha that fathered her.”

Satori hummed thoughtfully before taking his daughter back from Eita. “Maybe~ but no time to worry about that! We should go ahead and run errands, right?”

Satori had taken some time off from work in order to visit Sendai and spend several days with Semi and Yamagata. He wanted his daughter to know her Omega and Alpha godparents better since they couldn’t come to Tokyo and visit whenever they wanted. And it seemed that the mated pair was completely enamored with their godpup, not that he blamed them one bit.

“We’ll need to go pick up a few groceries for tonight. If you think Usagi’s up for a trip out-”

“To the store!” Tendou pointed to the door, Usagi in her sling that was now wrapped around her mother.

Eita groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he willed any deities that might have been out there to not let him lose his temper.

 

* * *

 

“And this is a grocery store that your uncle and I frequented when we were still in high school! Are you taking it all in, Chibi-Usa?” Satori waved his arm about, trying to show his pup all of the sights that there were to see.

“Satori, she’s still a baby. I seriously doubt she pays attention to anything beyond when she’s fed, bathed and changed.”

“And someday,” Satori ignored Eita, continuing as though the other Omega hadn’t said a word. “When you’re old enough, maybe you can go to Shiratorizawa like we did too! But only if you really want to go there.” Usagi gurgled in response and curled herself against her mother’s form. “That’s right, and you’ll be the bestest volleyball player ever too! My little Miracle Girl!”

Eita sighed and began to pick up the items he needed, depositing them into their basket. “You’d both have to move back here for Usagi to attend Shiratorizawa. Wasn’t there a reason for your moving away as soon as you graduated?”

The red-head stiffened slightly before shrugging. “Yeah, but it’s no big deal. So long as I don’t run into anyone I’d rather ignore, then Usagi and I will be good! It’ll just be the two of us, together forever!”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out then,” Eita chuckled as he looked fondly at the seemingly content pup in the sling. It seemed that Usagi had been good for Tendou, she grounded him, made him more responsible for things. It was a shame that she’d more than likely never know her Alpha parent, but Tendou appeared more than ready to play the role of both parents for the little girl.

As happy as Eita was for Satori, he couldn’t help but feel that niggling feeling of jealousy. He too wanted to know what it was like to carry a pup that was completely his and Hayato’s. He wanted to raise a pup, to love and cherish his own child someday. If only his own body didn’t hate him so much...

“Y’know, I can hear your thoughts from a mile away.”

Eita blinked, pulled out of his thoughts to find Satori and Usagi both staring expectantly at him. He felt a flush creep along the back of his neck and shook his head. “S-Sorry about that, I just-”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize to me. I get it, and I hate if I’m bein’ honest. I feel kinda shitty coming here, taking up yours and Hayato’s space with my pup after everything that’s happened.” Tendou shrugged. “I didn’t even know all that was going on with you…”

The ashen-haired Omega sighed. This definitely wasn’t how he wanted this conversation to go. “I don’t want you to apologize,” he slowly began while once again picking out items from the shelves and placing them into his basket. “And I absolutely don’t want any pity from you.”

“Whaaaa? Why would I do that? It won’t be long before you’re all nice and knocked up just like I was! And you and Hayato will have a half a dozen pups before you know it!”

Eita gave a visible shudder at the thought. “One would be nice, maybe two, but not sure I’d want that many pups of my own.”

“Aw, c’mon!” Satori’s smile widened. “Just picture it! A house full of little Hayato’s and little Eita’s running around!”

“Satori,” Semi growled.

“Semisemi~,” Satori sang out. He loved to mess with his friends, and it seemed to help Eita take his mind off his current childless situation some. Maybe not much, considering the situation, but if he could help even the just the littlest bit…

“Satori?” A feminine voice called out.

The red-head froze in place and his arms slowly wound around his daughter. “H-Hey, Eita, what say we hurry up and finish getting what you need so we can get outta here?” His voice became strained and his smile now forced.

Eita frowned, glancing behind Tendou to find a woman with graying hair frowning at the pair. He knew without Satori saying anything just who she was…

“Satori,” the woman began again. “You didn’t bother to let us know you were back in town. Not that you’ve bothered to let anyone know anything about yourself for the past several years.”

Forcing himself to turn around, Tendou slowly wound his arms even tighter around his pup. The smile he gave was a stiff, brittle one, a fake smile that indicated he would probably rather eat glass than see the woman in front of him. If he was being honest, he’d rather have never seen her again if he could have helped it. Oh well, time to accept his fate since there was no escaping it. “Well, well, been awhile hasn’t it, Ma?”

 

* * *

 

Mother and son stared in silence at one another from the table in the little coffee shop they had popped into. The tension was palpable and thick enough to cut with a steak knife. Eita almost wanted to reach out and take Usagi from Satori so he could speak to his mother and not have to worry about his child, but first he’d see what happened before taking such action.

“So,” Satori’s mother spoke up first, glancing at the babbling infant in her son’s lap before looking back up at him. “I take it this pup is yours?”

Satori wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug look off her face, but instead opted to reach inside Usagi’s bag and give the pup her stuffed Tekachu to gnaw on. “Nah, I just found her on the side of the road and decided to pick her up. Probably the best decision I’ve made in a long time too, right Eita? I mean, it’s not like I could do any worse at being a mom than anyone else.”

His mother’s coffee mug was slammed down onto the table, cold eyes narrowing just the slightest. “Still the same as ever I see. You never were able to take anything seriously, always focusing on the silliest things like that volleyball team of yours, and those ridiculous manga your eyes would stay glued to. And now look at you,” she gave her son a once-over look as though appraising him.

“Yes, bask in the wonder that is Miracle Boy Satori~!”

His mother shook her head before waving a flippant hand at Usagi. “Unmated and raising a pup on your own. Where exactly is the child’s father anyway?”

Tendou shrugged, as though talking about that particular subject bored him. “Dunno about that.”

“Typical Satori,” the words dripped like venom. “I always knew you would wind up in this kind of position someday. Your brothers kept telling me differently, but you’ve obviously proven me right.” She shook her head as though pitying her son before once again tearing into him. “If you had just done as I told and stayed away from those hooligans at that school of yours, none of this would have happened!”  

Satori rolled his eyes at his mother’s theatrics. Good to see she hadn’t changed one bit over the years. At least all he had to do was wait it out and then he and his pup could be about their merry way, leaving the bitter old crone behind.

“And a pup that comes from you is sure to be just as worthless as you were growing up. What good is an Omegan son anyway? And what good is anything that comes from an Omega? Especially a pup who doesn’t even have an Alpha parent in the picture. An Alpha who probably didn’t want either one of you!”

Eita audibly gasped, head whipping from Satori to his mother, back to Satori again. Satori didn’t seem to give a visible reaction, instead picking Usagi up and handing her to Eita, smile still in place.

“Tendou, are you-”

“My, my, you sure have a lot to say, don’tcha?” Tendou laughed and leaned forward. “And normally, I’d be alright with you hounding me and telling me what an awful mistake I was, but y’see, you made one fatal error just now.”

As Tendou suddenly got to his feet, hands slammed down onto the table, but the tight smile he wore never wavered. “You should’ve never mentioned my pup in any way, shape or form. Unlike _you_ , I’ll fight to keep my pup safe. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s happy and healthy; I plan on being there for every single milestone in her life, never judging her for anything she may do or what she may present as, and guess what? You won’t be part of any of it.” Satori’s head cocked to one side as he closed his eyes and smirked. “She may not have an Alpha parent in her life, but she’s perfect. I love her as much as if I’d been mated and knew exactly who her father was, that shit doesn’t matter to me. Usagi is _my_ pup and that’ll never change. Got it? Good. Glad we could have this little chat. Tell Pops and Daiki and Sorin I said hey if you don’t mind.” His tone was dismissive, indicating the conversation was now over.

Eita’s grip on Usagi tightened just the slightest bit as he watched Satori straighten back up and turn to them. “Ah, are you ready to go?” Gods, he hoped so…

The red-haired Omega grinned before reaching for Usagi, the pup still gnawing on her stuffed toy as she leaned toward her mother. “Yup, nothing more to say here. We should probably hurry back, right?”

Eita glanced at a clock on the wall and ‘eep’d. “Hayato will be home before long.” Satori snickered and led the way out of the shop while Eita glanced back over his shoulder. His eyes widened just slightly upon seeing Satori’s mother with red eyes, biting her lip as though trying hard not to show any kind of emotion or let any tears fall.

He hated it; really he did, especially since Eita had come from a loving family himself. He had always known that Satori had come from a household where Omegas weren’t as respected as Alphas, but seeing it for himself… Semi shook his head and hurried to catch up to Satori and Usagi. “Hey Satori, are you alright? Back there-”

“Ooh~ look there! It’s an ice cream shop! You want some ice cream, don’tcha Usagi?”

Eita groaned at Satori’s attempt to change the subject. “She’s a pup, Satori. Her stomach can’t handle adult foods yet! You should know that as a healthcare professional!”

“Can’t fight crime on an empty stomach! Don’tcha know that, Semisemi? And my lil Usagi is going to be the best Shounen heroine there ever was!” The red-head ignored his ashen-haired friend and headed straight for the ice cream parlor. “Time to introduce you to the wonder that is chocolate ice cream~!”

Usagi squealed at the top of her lungs and Eita helplessly sighed, smirking before following them in. “Don’t come to me if she winds up with a stomachache in the middle of the night.”

Tendou suddenly held his pup up in front of Semi’s face. “But you’re her favorite godparent! You can’t deny her sweet little face!” Eita tried to be strong against the smiling, drooly face that reached little chubby arms at him, but he groaned and Satori knew he had won this battle. Victory for Miracle Boy Satori and Usagi! Anything to help them forget about the family that obviously still wanted nothing to do with him.

So long as he had Usagi and his friends, they were the only family he would ever need. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I didn't wanna watch the results of the election so instead I worked on this chapter all afternoon. YOU'RE WELCOME! 
> 
> When I said the angst would be coming back, I totally meant it so I hope y'all enjoyed! More fluff and angst to come~
> 
> Follow me on tumblr and hit me up about Haikyuu, Shiratorizawa and just about anything you can think of!


	7. Reach Out My Hand

It was finally the end of another long work day, and Satori so looked forward to the end of these days. He loved his job, really he did, but at the same time it was hard being away from Usagi. Satori could at least take small comfort that she was in safe, capable hands during these long days he had to work. The Omega hummed to himself as he walked down the pathway toward the house he had become very familiar with over the past several months.

“Knock, knock! Open up~!” Satori grinned as the door quickly swung open and he was met with a bright, smiling Beta woman. “So good to see you once again, Mika!”

The brunette laughed and moved to the side to allow Satori entrance. “Tendou-san, you’re right on time as usual. Come in, the pups are all playing with each other.”

Satori kicked his shoes off at the entrance before padding behind Daishou Mika. He had discovered that the Beta ran a sort of small daycare service for employees of the hospital that her husband and mate worked for. He had met Daishou Suguru on a few occasions as he was a physical therapist that worked for the same hospital as Satori. He really didn’t have an opinion of the Alpha one way or the other, but according to Oikawa, his teammate Kuroo had less than a stellar view on his one-time rival in volleyball.

A loud shriek tore Satori from his inner musings and he grinned from ear to ear at the sight. There were several happy-looking pups on the floor, all playing with one another, but his own pup was crawling after a boy, who appeared to be trying to escape by crawling as fast as he could. Usagi was quicker, launching herself at the other pup and giggling as the other whined and tried to free himself.

Deciding to help the little boy out, Satori knelt by the pair and instantly Usagi’s head snapped up. Satori snickered as golden-brown eyes widened in recognition and his pup squealed as she released the other, immediately reaching her arms out to her mother. “There’s my girl! Are you being mean to lil’ Iwa-chan here? You know you should play nicer, right? I know it may be fun to be as mean as you can, but there’ll be plenty of time in the future for that.”

The other pup, one Iwaizumi Takato, blinked large chocolate eyes up at the red-haired pair before sitting up and babbling. He reached out to Usagi, who in turn cocked her head and gave a tiny mewl down at the raven-haired boy before curling herself against her mother’s form. That didn’t seem to sit well with the young Iwaizumi and he began to whimper and whine.

“Uh-oh. Mika, I think you’re about to have one upset kiddo on your hands here.”

He heard an audible sigh, standing to his feet as Mika reached down to pick up the pup that looked to be a healthy mixture of both his Alpha and Omega parents. “Now, don’t be upset, Takato-kun. Your parents will be here soon enough to pick you up.”

That didn’t seem to be enough to placate the pup and he buried his face in Mika’s shoulder. Tendou snickered and reached for Usagi’s bag. “We’ll just get out of your hair here so you can deal with this.”

“How kind of you,” was the dry response he was given. “You’re quite the humanitarian.” Mika managed a small smile as she walked the pair to the door and Satori slipped his shoes back on. “Same time tomorrow, Tendou-san?”

“I’m actually off tomorrow! So we’ll be back the day after that.”

The Beta’s smile widened. “Well then I hope you two enjoy your day together.

“Thanks, we will! Now tell Mika and Takato bye-bye, Usagi.” The nine-month-old stared at Mika before babbling and giving a sloppy wave in the general direction of Mika and the pup she still held onto. The red-haired pup then wrapped tiny arms around her mother and rested her head against his shoulder, watching as Mika and Takato waved right back at her.

 

* * *

 

After picking up groceries for their dinner and getting distracted by a few other stops, Satori and his daughter were finally home in their apartment; as soon as they finished eating, Satori gave Usagi her bath and put her in a pair of footed pajamas with a Kitty-chan pattern all over. The nine-month-old began to crawl around before settling for a sitting position at her mother’s feet, staring up at her with wide golden-brown eyes. The opportunity was too great for Tendou not to take a picture and immediately send it to Wakatoshi.

 **To: Miracle Boy (´•ω•｀** **♥)** : _LOOKIT MY LITTLE GIRL! ISNT SHE SO CWUUUUTE?_

_[img. attached]_

_Don’t u think she’s just the cutest??_

_I think she’s 2 precious, too pure 4 this world~_

The response he got was swift and so Wakatoshi-like.

 **From: Miracle Boy (´•ω•｀** **♥)** : _Yes. That is a very good picture of Usagi. You and she must come to one of our practices again soon since I would like to see her. Bokuto says he wants Usagi to be there whenever he has his mate there as well. Something about Usagi being so adorable that she would be able to convince his mate that they are indeed ready for a pup of their own. And Sakusa has asked about you both as well. It would appear Usagi is quite popular amongst my teammates._

Satori glanced down to find bright-colored eyes staring right back up at him. “Well, how about it, Chibi-Usa? You wanna go visit Wakkun tomorrow?” The infant clapped little hands together and squealed happily before reaching up for her mother, and Satori took the opportunity to take yet another picture to send.

 **To: Miracle Boy (´•ω•｀** **♥)** : _[img. attached]_

_Of course she’s popular with the team! She’s popular with everyone!_

_Usagi and I accept ur invitation! We will see u 2morrow!_

**From: Miracle Boy (´•ω•｀** **♥)** : _Good. I will look forward to seeing you both tomorrow. Please ensure you both get plenty of rest so that you are not tired when you come. I hope you both have a good evening._

Satori had to fight the urge to laugh. That was just like Wakatoshi to be concerned with their health in such a formal manner, but when it came down to it, Satori was certain that the Alpha really cared for Usagi deep down. He knew for sure Usagi had already imprinted on him, always so excited to see the Alpha; sometimes it made Tendou jealous at how much his daughter really liked Wakatoshi.

 But he knew he would always be her number one, and that fact alone made Satori feel better. She would always need her mother, no matter how old she got; and they would always have each other.

The pup yawned and rubbed her face against Satori’s shoulder. “Ah, is someone getting sleepy? I think someone’s ready to go to bed now, but I wonder who it could be…” He grinned at the sleepy little smile he got from Usagi, relishing in the soft vibration that were her purrs that let him know how safe and content his daughter really was. “I think it’s Usagi that’s ready for bed,” he whispered as he made his way to her nursery, humming the Sailor Moon theme all the while.

 

* * *

 

 

Wakatoshi smiled softly at the pictures he received from Satori, quietly saving them to his phone in the album with all of the other pictures he had of Usagi. Practice had just ended and he was looking forward to getting back to his apartment so he could shower and go to bed early. After all, it wouldn’t do for him to not be at his tip-top form when Satori and his pup came to visit the next day.

“Heeeeey, what’s gotcha lookin’ so happy there, Ushiwaka?”

“My money’s on a cute Omega, but then again knowing him, he’d be too dense to realize when someone’s coming onto him.”

The Alpha in question frowned as he was suddenly surrounded by two of his fellow teammates, Bokuto Koutarou and Kuroo Tetsurou. He had realized early on that the duo enjoyed teasing their fellow teammates, so Wakatoshi tried not to take it to heart, instead answering their question the only way he knew how. “It was only Satori. He and Usagi will be coming to watch our practice tomorrow.”

Bokuto squawked, wide eyes sparkling at the mention of the Omega and his pup. “Really?? I gotta make sure Keiji’s here then! I want him to see how great little pups really are!” Kuroo shook his head and sighed while Wakatoshi tried to back away from the two Alphas.

“Yes, they will both be here. It is Satori’s day off tomorrow, so I must leave in order to get home and-” He stiffened as he felt his phone being plucked from his grasp.

“And what do we have here, hmm?” Oikawa grinned as he took a look at Ushijima’s lock screen, which was a picture of Usagi giving a bright happy smile while Satori held her up in a Lion King-esque fashion. “What an adorable picture of Usagi-chan and Sato-chan! And here all this time you’ve been claiming there’s been nothing between you and Sato-chan, you sly Alpha you.”

Wakatoshi felt his frustration deepen as he tried to get his phone back, only to have the Omega keep it out of his reach. “I haven’t been lying, Oikawa. Satori and I are merely friends and nothing more than that.”

Kuroo suddenly appeared behind Ushijima, winding an arm around his fellow Alpha’s neck. “Y’know, I’ve wondered about that too. I mean, you two _are_ constantly around each other bein’ affectionate and shit, and you treat his pup like she was your own.”

Bokuto perked up, glancing over Oikawa’s shoulder to take a look at the picture the brunette had made such a fuss over. “Yeah… I mean, most Alphas wouldn’t treat some other Alpha’s pup as well as you do Usagi, no matter how cute she is and no matter how good of friends they might be with the kid’s mom.”

Wakatoshi felt himself bristle and he finally grabbed his phone away from Oikawa, slipping the device into his pocket. “Usagi is an innocent pup,” he calmly stated. “Satori is a good friend. Therefore I see nothing wrong with being close with the both of them.” 

Oikawa tapped fingers against his hip while humming thoughtfully. “Maybe not, but what will happen when Sato-chan decides to start dating in the future? Or when you decide you want to find some poor Omega who’s desperate enough to want an Alpha like you, Ushiwaka-chan?”

Lips slowly curved down into a frown. Why would it matter if Satori decided to start dating? He didn’t see what the issue was. And Wakatoshi himself had no desire to begin a courtship with any Omega, now or in the foreseeable future. He had to focus all of his time and energy into his practice and the team, not worry about finding a suitable mate for himself.

“What if Usagi’s Alpha parent decided to pop back into the picture, tried to pick right back up where he left things?” Oikawa couldn’t help but throw one more barb, trying to gauge Ushijima’s reaction.

Wakatoshi blinked slowly as the words sunk in. That just wasn’t possible, was it? “Satori has no idea who Usagi’s father is. It is highly improbable for that Alpha to suddenly reappear. He wouldn’t even know that he had fathered a pup with Satori.”

“Improbable, but not impossible.” Kuroo grinned before shrugging once and stalking off.

“Yeah,” Bokuto piped up. “Tendou could decide that he was lonely and wanted Usagi’s dad to come back and be a real parent to her! They could even be a family or something!” Wide eyes widened even further at that realization, if such a thing was possible.

“Satori is highly intelligent and would surely think of Usagi’s best interests before allowing this unknown Alpha back into his daughter’s life, even if Satori knew who it was.” Honestly, why were his teammates questioning Satori’s parenting in this manner? It wasn’t as though he would allow just _any_ Alpha to meet his cherished pup, even if he _did_ begin dating; especially not the supposed Alpha that had impregnated him. Of course, Satori kept claiming that he had no idea which Alpha it was that was truly Usagi’s father. Wakatoshi himself didn’t even know the names of the supposed paternal candidates, only Satori knew that information.

Oikawa shrugged and bent over to pick up his bag. “Maybe and maybe not. I do know that every pup needs a father figure in their life, and it probably won’t be long before Sato-chan starts thinking about what’s best for his little girl. After all, lots of Alphas have had their eye on Sato-chan for some time now, and he may just take one of them up on an offer of courtship.” He glanced over his shoulder to find a certain curly-haired Alpha refilling his water bottle before turning his attention back to Wakatoshi. “Just think about it, Ushiwaka.”

“What is there to think about, Oikawa?”

Tooru sighed heavily and yanked the bag over his shoulder. “Forget it,” he snapped. “You’re thicker than a brick wall. I don’t know what Sato-chan sees in… Nevermind! Just sit around and be forever alone then, stupid Ushiwaka!” With a last hmph, Oikawa stalked out of the gym, mumbling about how he would much rather be with his family than deal with Ushiwaka’s failed love life.

Wakatoshi silently stared after Oikawa before slowly picking up his own bag and heading for the exit. He had had more than enough of this kind of foolish line of questioning for one day.  

“Um, Wakatoshi?”

He stopped mid-step and turned to find Sakusa staring hard at him, and it appeared that the other Alpha had something important that he wanted to say something to him.

“Is it true?” Sakusa waited for the other to say something, and when he was offered up a silent stare instead, Sakusa continued. “Is it true that you really have no interest in dating Tendou-san?”

That wasn’t what Wakatoshi had been expecting at all. “Date Satori?” Now where had _that_ come from? His brow furrowed before shaking his head once. “Of course not, he is merely a good friend. He’s a former teammate, and someone I completely trust. I know he feels quite the same about me as well. He and I have no interest in one another in that respect.”

“Is that so?” Something in the younger Alpha’s eyes seemed to change and he nodded. A smile slowly made its way across Sakusa’s face and he took a step back. “Thank you, Wakatoshi. That’s all I needed to know. I hope that you have a good evening now.” Sakusa turned around and headed in the opposite direction of the gym, leaving Ushijima behind stupefied as to why he had been asked such a question.

Wakatoshi sighed and as quickly as he could, made his way to the exit once again. It appeared that everyone on his team was having a lapse in good, common sense. He didn’t understand why they were all suddenly barraging him with questions about Satori and his pup, but he didn’t much care for it. He wanted to protect Satori and Usagi, and these questions would only do harm to the pair.

Fingers curled around the strap of his bag at that thought. As much as Satori had gone through, he couldn’t stand it if someone or something tried to ruin his friend’s happiness. Wakatoshi had to do everything in his power to make sure that Satori never lost that infectious smile of his ever again.

He paused, stopping right in front of a store that appeared to be having a sale on all their plush toys. Kitty-chan happened to be a favorite of Usagi’s, he knew this much judging from all of the merchandise Satori bought for her, and what could it hurt if he just stepped inside and saw what kind of Kitty-chan accessory he could find for the pup? She would more than likely be overjoyed with a new plush, and it was the thought of making the infant happy that made the Alpha step inside the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOTING CARING CLUELESS WAKATOSHI IS THE BEST FIGHT ME
> 
> I hope y'all are enjoying how the plot is moving along and the nice little fluff in each chapter. When I say this story is a slow burn, I mean this story is a SLOOOOOOOW BURNNNNNNNN. Don't be expecting our sweet lil Ushi to realize anything he might feel for Tendou anytime soon. 
> 
> Come find me on tumblr and talk haikyuu!! to me.


	8. Baby Steps

“Kid on the court! Watch out for the kid!”

“USAGI!” Satori quickly reached down to pick up his year-old daughter as she tried to run away from him. The pup had recently begun walking, and of course with the walking came the running. So far, for the past few weeks since Usagi first began to walk, Satori had chased after his pup more times than he could count and he could have sworn he had had several mini heart-attacks in the process.

The red-haired pup shrieked upon realizing she had been caught, struggling against her mother’s grasp and whining loudly. Satori heard loud snickers behind him and he whirled around before letting out a heavy sigh. “It just so happens to be your lucky day! Which one of you lucky recipients wants an unruly, precocious pup who’s decided she doesn’t have to listen to her mother? Free to a good home!” The little girl waved a hand and gave a wide smile, similar to one Satori often sported.

Iwaizumi chuckled from his spot on the bleachers, Takato firmly seated on his father’s lap. “Thanks, but I’ll pass; already got one that’s far too much like his mother for my liking.”

Satori’s attention turned to a raven-haired Omega, one Akaashi Keiji, who was shaking his head as well while smiling softly. “I must decline as well. Usagi is a bright, lovely pup, but since Koutarou and I will have one of our own in the next several months, I don’t think it would be wise to take another one on.”

“I’m good,” came the quiet response from Kuroo’s petite mate, his eyes never leaving his handheld console. “Kids aren’t for me or Kuro. No matter how he might say otherwise.”

“Well, if no one else will, then I’ll take her!” Usagi was quickly plucked from Satori’s grasp as Sugawara squeezed the girl close. “You know Daichi and I will take good care of her.”  

“More like you’ll corrupt her,” Satori’s smile was all-knowing and Suga snorted before rolling his eyes.

“What is it with all of you thinking I’m anything but a pure individual?”

“Oh please,” Satori snickered. “You aren’t fooling anyone with that innocent act. I bet you’re the kinky type to tie Daichi up.”

“Well, it isn’t like he complains about it,” Suga murmured under his breath, but before anyone could comment on that, the team’s practice suddenly ended.

“IWA-CHAN~!” Iwaizumi groaned at the high-pitched call from his mate, but still managed to give a small smirk.

Oikawa bounded over before kissing his mate’s cheek and grabbing for his son. “Takato~! Mommy has missed you so much!” He began planting kisses all over the boy’s cheeks before the pup squealed and snuggled his face in his mother’s chest.

Quiet practices where everyone was around like this were the days that Satori enjoyed the most. Usagi also seemed to be getting used to everyone on the team, and Satori was all about making sure his pup was comfortable with everyone and everything.

Usagi seemed to perk at seeing Wakatoshi, who was just a short distance away as he carried on a quiet conversation with another member of the team. She reached little arms out to him and began to grunt and whine. Wakatoshi failed to realize just what the pup was wanting, continuing what seemed to be a serious discussion. This didn’t seem to sit well with the pup; how could he just ignore her like this? She wanted his attention right then! Wakatoshi finally glanced over and gave the pup a smile, but her brow furrowed and she gave the Alpha a very Satori-like pout. Again she reached for the Alpha from where she sat on her mother’s hip, until finally…

“Wa-Wa!” Time seemed to stop in that moment and several pairs of eyes turned to the almost-inconsolable tot. She whimpered again and cried out indignantly. “WA-WA!”

Tendou immediately whooped and wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around his daughter. “Did you hear that? She just said her first word! She said Mama!” He puffed his chest out proudly. “See that? She does so love me!”

Akaashi’s head tilted slightly as he studied the pup. “I hate to burst your bubble, Tendou-san, but I don’t believe she said Mama.”

A slighted sound came from the red-haired Omega. “What’re you talking about? Of course she did! Plain as day!”

Usagi once again reached for Ushijima, who was now paying close attention to the duo. “Wa-Wa,” she squealed and leaned forward, trying to show the Alpha that she wanted him to pick her up.

“…” Satori slowly turned his gaze from his daughter to Wakatoshi, then back to Usagi. “Noooooooo,” he whined and dramatically slapped his forearm against his face. “Et tu, Brutus? How could you do this to me? Your first word is supposed to be Mama! Say it with me, Maaaa-Maaaaa.”

“Wa-Wa!”

Wakatoshi reached his arms out to take the active pup, patting a hand gently to her back as Usagi planted her head against his chest. She gave a smile to her mother and Satori grumbled. “She can’t give me that look. I practically invented that look!”

Suga snickered, hiding his face behind a hand. “Looks like Usagi’s made her choice quite clear.”

Satori grumbled, shooting a last dark look to his pup and Wakatoshi. “If that’s how you’re gonna be, then I’m going to get your bag, little priss,” giving a petulant sniff, he made his way to the other end of the bleachers still grumbling under his breath about the unfairness of it all.

“You know, Usa-chan seems to be quite attached to Ushiwaka.”

Tendou blinked as he glanced over his shoulder to find Oikawa, hands to his hips and that annoying self-sanctimonious smirk on his face. “Yeah, I guess she is,” he shrugged, not really thinking too deeply into Oikawa’s statement. “He’s been there literally since the moment she came out and they’ve been attached at the hip ever since.”

Oikawa snorted, traipsing closer to the fellow Omega. “You don’t see a problem with that though? She could grow _too_ attached to him.”

Satori’s wide eyes slowly blinked once. “You’re so right. My pup is forming a loving bond with a trusted Alpha friend of mine. Oh the injustice of it all!”

The brunette snorted. “I’m being serious, Sato-chan. I thought you’d be the one advocating for what’s best for Usa-chan,” Oikawa shrugged. “After all, haven’t you ever thought of what would happen to Usa-chan when she gets older and starts asking you why she only has one parent in the picture?”

Those words hit him like a freight train and a cold chill made its way up his spine. Lips curled into a slow frown and Satori furiously shook his head. “Why would Usagi ever ask something like that,” he asked in a false sweet tone. “I’m all she’ll ever need, don’tcha know? Not everyone _needs_ to have two parents in the picture to make a family. That’s how it was meant to be for us from the start!” Satori’s smile widened. “Satori and Usagi against the world! Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”  

“Mm, I suppose… But would you ever want to put Usa-chan through any possible pain when there’s a chance to give her that complete family? Now, I can’t believe I’m actually trying to help you out, but…” He slyly motions to one end of the expansive gym, where there was a certain curly-haired Alpha that was staring holes into both Omegas before quickly turning his attention elsewhere upon finding he had been discovered. “Saku-chan is a very nice Alpha and just so happens to be very interested in a potential courtship with a certain someone~.”

The red-head cocked his head to one side. “Kiyoomi? Nah, he’s too nice a guy to get mixed up with my shit,” he waved a hand in a flippant manner. “Nice try though.”

Oikawa huffed and crossed his arms before shaking his head. “All I’m trying to say is to at least think about it? What could it hurt if you give him a chance? It's downright sad the way you keep pining after Ushiwaka when he's too dense to see how you feel.”

Lots could be hurt, Tendou knew all-too well just how things could possibly turn out, and he would hate for Kiyoomi to end up hating him because he can’t seem to get over his feelings for Wakatoshi.

“Tendou-san?”

Satori’s head whipped up and he forced himself to stifle a groan. Sakusa stood before the two Omegas, hands in front of him as he nervously glanced from Oikawa to Satori. The setter gave a sly smirk before taking a step back. “I’ll just leave you two to talk. I’m sure you have a lot to discuss,” his voice was a low purr as he strode back to his own mate and pup.

Damn him. Damn Oikawa to the lowest pits of hell. A bright smile was forced to Tendou’s face as he faced the younger Alpha. “Ah, Kiyoomi-kun! What’s up?”

Sakusa was mask-free for the moment and Satori could see that the other appeared nervous as hell, to put it simply. The Alpha took a deep breath and hands were clasped in front of him; his eyes began to dart everywhere but Satori. “It’s taken me quite some time to gather enough nerve to ask you,” Satori watched, curious to see how this might play out. “Oikawa-san ensured that I wouldn’t be too presumptuous,” Oh, Satori was going to kill Oikawa, absolutely murder him. “And you’re more than welcome to dismiss me, but I was wondering if it’s not too inconvenient, if I might take you out on a date sometime?”

Satori was still smiling, but he hated the way his stomach was churning. It wasn’t as though he looked forward to rejecting the guy, he just knew that it wouldn’t be fair to lead him on when there was no way he was ready to move on from his feelings for Wakatoshi. “Ah, look Kiyoomi,” a hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. “I think you’re a nice guy, a great one even! But I’m kind of, well there’s someone…”

“I’m very aware of your feelings for Wakatoshi.”

“Hah?” Well, Satori hadn’t been expecting that.

Sakusa nodded furiously. “Oh yes, I think most everyone knows how you feel about Wakatoshi, but I just thought,” he paused, licking his lips before continuing. “I had hoped that you might be willing to give me a chance. I’ll admit, as much as I’ve admired Wakatoshi, I’ve also been a bit jealous of him over the years.”

Jealous? What did he have to be jealous of? Alright, Tendou might have been a little biased, but Wakatoshi was a pretty impressive specimen in all avenues. Sakusa didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about though, he was extremely talented and was on his way to being a starting player on the national team too. He wasn’t bad-looking either, so why…

“I was jealous that he had an Omega like you giving all of your affection to him. You never gave anyone else the same attention that you did him, and I always wanted an Omega like you to pay attention to me in that way too… The difference being that I would whole-heartedly return those affections.”

“Haaaah?” Had Kiyoomi completely lost it? Satori quickly shook his head, trying to rack his brain for any way to convince Sakusa that he wasn’t the type of Omega he wanted to get tangled up with. “Eh look, I appreciate all that, but I’m not your typical Omega looking for an Alpha to come save me. Don’t you want someone petite and cute? A submissive Omega? An Omega that doesn’t have any baggage?” That would do it. No Alpha in his right mind would want an Omega that already had a pup that wasn’t biologically theirs. And Satori wasn’t going to give Usagi up for anything in the world, so that would take care of that.

“I know you think you probably know better, but,” Sakusa’s face began to pinken as he once again cleared his throat. “You’ve always been independent, never have cared about anyone’s opinion of you, the love you have for your pup is quite admirable, and whether you believe it or not… I’ve always found you very attractive.”

Tendou was at a complete loss for words, and that didn’t happen very often. “I…” Shit, what was he supposed to say now?

“I don’t really expect an answer right now, but if you would just think about it?” Sakusa appeared hopeful. “I know I’m not the Alpha you would rather have, but I’d like to be given the chance to try and be that Alpha for you. Thank you for hearing me out, Tendou-san.”

Satori watched Kiyoomi’s back as he walked away, mind racing a thousand miles a minute. There was no way he would actually go out on a date with him, what was Sakusa thinking?! Tendou was just fine being single and mateless so long as he still had Usagi.

Grabbing his pup’s bag, Satori headed back to the other end of the gym but found himself stopping. Wakatoshi was murmuring something into Usagi’s ear and the little girl giggled before snuggling closer to the Alpha. Satori’s lips quirked up into a half-smile as he watched, but the longer he watched, the more he thought about Kiyoomi. He thought he had accepted the fact that Wakatoshi would never be his Alpha that returned his feelings, but watching how he interacted with his pup, he realized that wasn’t as easy as he had originally thought it would be.

Usagi and Wakatoshi just looked so comfortable with each other, and Satori couldn’t help but wish that Wakatoshi would want Satori himself, and not just want to help him with Usagi. He furiously shook his head; Tendou knew he had to get over that. He had to get a grip and once and for all accept that Wakatoshi would never love him.

He once again forced a smile, waving to the other end of the gym. “Who’s up for dinner and ice cream afterwards?” He could do this, act like he was content with friendship. He had been doing it for so many years already that he couldn’t let anything change that now.  

 

* * *

 

 

Satori glanced over at his daughter, managing a crooked smile as he watched Usagi toddle around their apartment. Oikawa’s words kept resounding in his mind, rattling around and refusing to give him any kind of relief: _“Haven’t you ever thought of what would happen to Usa-chan when she gets older and starts asking you why she only has one parent in the picture?”_

Of course Satori had thought about it! It wasn’t as though he’d never put any thought into how his daughter would function without a paternal figure in her life. It was something that weighed heavily on him constantly! …Well, maybe _constantly_ was pushing it, but he did think about it a lot! At first, he thought that Oikawa was just being an asshole by implying Usagi would be tormented for not having her father around, but the more Satori thought about it, maybe Oikawa had a point.

He wanted to do what was best for his daughter, but the burning question was: What exactly _was_ best for his pup? Would she be better off having two parents in her life rather than just Satori? He didn’t care one way or another what the general public thought of him and the fact that he was a single Omega parent; he’d heard all kinds of shit about being an Omega for the better part of his life. His concern was entirely with Usagi, and whether or not she would resent him in the future for not giving her an Alpha parent and not making them a real family.

But there was no way he could contact either of the Alphas he had slept with about his daughter. What would he tell them after a year and a half? ‘Oh, remember when you knotted me during my heat at that one party from forever ago? Well there’s a good chance one of you lucky guys fathered my pup! Surprise!’ Yeah, fat chance of that happening.

“Wa-Wa!” Satori blinked as he heard the little cry that tore him from his musings. Usagi reached for her mother and without any hesitation, Satori picked her up and held her close. “Now listen here, Usagi, you’re gonna have to learn how to say Mama pretty soon. I’m starting to feel a little hurt here that Wakkun just so happened to be your first word.”

“Brreee!” Usagi babbled incoherently as she happily patted the side of her mother’s cheek.

These were the moments in which Tendou wished that time would just stand still, where he could keep Usagi this little forever. She completely relied on him and the way she wrapped her tiny arms around Satori’s neck made him feel as though he were Usagi’s entire world and always would be. His arms wound around the pup tightly.  

The way Satori saw it, he had to at least do everything in his power to make Usagi as happy as he could. And if Wakatoshi wasn’t ever going to give him the time of day and return his feelings, then what could it hurt to give another Alpha a try, one who was seemingly interested in him? Tendou reached for his phone with one hand, mind made up about his course of action.

Satori took a breath before laughing shakily. What was wrong with him? He was never this nervous about anything, not even when Shiratorizawa had made it to nationals all those times! This was just a simple text, nothing to worry about! There was a pang in his chest, a sharp feeling as he pulled up the contact that was most definitely not Wakatoshi. It wasn’t as though he were betraying his long-time friend by wanting to go out with another Alpha, but it still felt so wrong and fingers grew heavy like lead while he held his phone.

Oh well, it was now or never, and with Usagi cradled in his free arm, fingers flew across the phone in his hand as he typed his message out.

**To: Kewl-oomi (** **。･** **д** **･)** **ﾉﾞ** : _Hey hey Kiyoomi!_

_Sooo I’ve been thinkin about ur offer_

_Like a lot actually_

_If u still wanna then I think I’d be willing to give the dating thing a try_

_At least once_

_Just lemme know when a good time for u is and I’ll find a babysitter 4 that night  °˖_ _✧◝(_ _⁰_ _▿_ _⁰)_ _◜✧_ _˖°_

Satori let out the breath he had unintentionally been holding in and tossed his phone to the side. Nothing to do now but to wait and see if he got any kind of response. After all, he may have already changed his mind and-

**From: Kewl-oomi (** **。･** **д** **･)** **ﾉﾞ** :   _I’m really glad you’ve reconsidered! I was really worried for a while that I might have offended you…_

_But I’m willing to work around your schedule and your time with Usagi-chan. I don’t want to take you away from the most important things in your life._

_Maybe we could start off with something simple, like dinner? If that’s alright with you of course! I’ll meet you wherever you’d like to._

Satori swallowed hard as he stared at the text Sakusa sent him. Well, that was fast, _and_ he seemed to be really enthusiastic about a potential date. He glanced down at Usagi who was gently playing with his hair and sleepily nuzzling her face against Satori’s neck. “Hey now, don’t fall asleep on me. Looks like you’re gonna have to help Mama pick out something to wear.”

His first date in almost two years… Great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say, Usagi just keeps getting cuter and cuter the older she gets! 
> 
> I'm worried this chapter isn't up to par with some of my previous chapters, but I'm lucky I even managed to get this out. I've had a pretty rough week, so I hope y'all will bear with me while I try to gather my bearings again.


	9. Adventures in Dating

Satori absolutely loved his job working as a nurse, but he also absolutely loathed the boring charting that came along with it. Luckily he could do most of the charting electronically, but still having to sit for long periods of time could be arduous, but he made the most of it. Satori tried to focus on his charting, but it was hard to do so when he could feel a pair of eyes boring into the back of his head. He knew exactly who it was, and that was precisely why he wasn’t going to acknowledge the individual.

“Tendou?”

Nope, not gonna happen. The moment he turned around, he was done for.

A soft huff. “I know you can hear me, so stop acting like you can’t!”

That was where he was wrong. Satori was just going to keep working on paperwork so he could get off work as soon as his shift was over. He had plans with Usagi, and nobody was going to get in the way of his time with his daughter.

“TENDOU!”

“Argh! Fine, fine! What do you want?!” His head snapped up to find Sugawara grinning down and wiggling fingers at him. “You finally got my attention, now what is it that’s so damn important?”

Suga shrugged before shifting his gaze to the side. “Oh, was just wanting to check on my favorite co-worker is all. See what’s new in your life and whatnot.”

“Ha! That’s bullshit and you know it, we both know Sato in the pediatric ward is your favorite,” Tendou snorted. He wasn’t buying any of what Koushi said for a damn minute, he knew the Beta was up to something else.

Suga’s lips curved into a pout. “Come on,” he whined. “I just wanted to know how your last date went. You haven’t told me the first detail about any of your dates with Sakusa! I think I’m entitled to _some_ kind of info, especially since Daichi and I are the ones watching your precious gift from above while you’re out.”

Yeah, he could just keep thinking that.

“Tendou,” Suga whined and plopped down in the chair by Satori, nudging incessantly at the other’s shoulder. “Just tell me!”

Satori swallowed hard before glancing around, as though to make sure no one else would hear what he was about to say. “It’s… It hasn’t been the worst.”

“Ohh?” Koushi leaned in, grinning from ear to ear as he propped his chin up on his knuckles. “Tell me more! And don’t you dare skimp out on the details!”

Satori groaned loudly before banging his head against their desk and burying his arms around his face. “He’s nice enough,” he managed to mumble out. “Still not too sure though.”

“Hmm,” Suga gently poked the visible part of Satori’s cheek. “You can’t force something you just don’t feel, but you should also try to keep an open mind. You never know, tonight’s date could be the night you two fall madly in love!”

“Maybe…” Satori was always trying hard not to think about the Alpha that he really wanted. After all, it wasn’t fair to Kiyoomi to keep dating someone he knew he’d never have any kind of deep feelings for. He had to give the guy a fair fighting chance. “But he has a nice ass from what I’ve checked out, so he’s got that much goin’ for him.”

Suga’s response was to cackle madly.

 

* * *

 

“You’re quiet tonight. Is everything alright, Tendou-san?”

Reddish eyes blinked and Satori gave a half-smile before nodding once to his date. “Yup! Everything’s just peachy, Kiyo-kun!” Ah, damn. Was he spacing out again? He honestly hadn’t meant to, just so many thoughts hitting him all at once.

This would be one of several dates he and Sakusa had had, and Satori had to admit that he was actually having fun when he was with the younger Alpha. It had taken some time before the pair found a night to go out that suited them both, and Satori sheepishly confessed to close friends that he was hoping the clashing schedules would deter the Alpha, but to no avail. But Sakusa was the epitome of a kind, patient Alpha every time they had gone out, overly respectful, and always making sure Tendou was taken care of and happy before looking to take care of himself.

They had gone to dinner each time and twice they went to a movie, while the other times they would just walk around and enjoy the snow-laden nights, much like they were doing right at that moment. There hadn’t been any major physical interaction between the two, and Satori had wondered if that was due to Sakusa being overly shy or rather his aversion to germs. Satori had enjoyed joking with him about the fact that he wore his mask during each of their dates, but it didn’t bother Satori. He merely chalked it up to one of Kiyoomi’s little quirks.

“I was just thinkin’ about Usagi. I usually get a text or something about this time to let me know she’s alright. Sorry about that!” Satori laughed and rubbed a hand against the back of his neck in an effort to show some kind of contrition.

Kiyoomi’s eyes crinkled, indicating he was smiling under his mask and he shook his head. “Please don’t apologize to me for that. I know how important it is that you make sure your pup is safe and secure since you aren’t with her right now. Would you like to call so you can check in on her?”

Well, if he was going to offer… Reaching for the phone in his pocket, Satori unlocked it and scrolled through his contacts until he pulled up Suga’s number. Before he could hit the call button, a text came through, as though Suga somehow knew that Tendou was about to call.

**From: Suga-Mama ( ˘ ³˘)** _: [img attached]_

_Sorry I’m a little late getting to you tonight! Someone decided she didn’t want to cooperate when it came to getting her bath. But she’s all clean and ready to go to bed when you come to pick her up!_

Satori couldn’t help but grin at the picture of his daughter, all dressed up in her feeted pajamas as she smiled sweetly up at the phone’s camera and her fiery red hair down and framing her face. He swiftly shoved the phone into Kiyoomi’s face. “Look at how cute she is!” He couldn’t help it, he was just so proud of his little girl and always took the opportunity to show her off when the opportunity presented itself.

Sakusa stared at the picture on the phone in silence before chuckling. “She’s very cute, Tendou-san. I keep telling you that she looks just like you, so it’s no wonder she’s adorable.”

Fingers curled around the phone in an almost-death grip. Aw, now why did Kiyoomi have to be so damn nice? “If you don’t watch it, I may wind up breaking your heart,” he snickered, slowly withdrawing his phone from Sakusa’s gaze and slipping it back into his pocket.

Everyone’s words kept ringing in his head: _Just give him a chance._

Dark eyes blinked once, then twice as he processed Satori’s statement. “E-Eh, Tendou-san?”

“Ah nothing, nothing,” Satori brightened and grabbed onto the sleeve of Kiyoomi’s jacket in order to drag him along. “C’mon, Kiyo-kun! Gotta enjoy all of this wonderful snow while we can tonight!”

Kiyoomi tried to keep up as he was being dragged by his sleeve. “Well Tendou-san, if you’re enjoying it so much, then perhaps next time we can bring Usagi-chan along? I think she might enjoy it too.”

He ignored the way his heart jumped slightly in response to hearing Kiyoomi mention bringing his daughter on their next outing. Satori opted to swiftly try and change the subject instead. “Mah, haven’t I told you before to call me by my name?” Satori grinned at the way Sakusa’s face turned red from beneath his mask and he released Kiyoomi’s jacket. “Come onnnnnn,” he stopped in place and lifted both hands with fingers moving back and forth. “It’s not that bad, is it? It’s only three syllables. We’ve already been out together a few times now. Just give it a try!”

The Alpha stiffened, swallowing hard. “I-Is that really alright though?” His eyes shifted, refusing to meet Satori’s gaze.

Tendou snickered before reaching his hands up to Sakusa’s mask. “You’re too cute, Kiyo-kun,” he crooned and before the curly-haired Alpha could say a word, Satori had gently tugged his mask down and under his chin. “There, much better!”

“A-Ah, Tendou-san…”

“Ah, ah.” He wagged a finger in Kiyoomi’s face, slyly smiling all the while. “What did I tell you?” It wasn’t like he took pleasure in seeing Sakusa squirm, not at all. Especially not when he blushed so nicely and looked so lost without his mask to protect him from any airborne germs.

“I, ah, I’m not sure what…” Kiyoomi stiffened noticeably and slowly turned his gaze downward upon feeling fingers slip through his own.

“There,” Tendou murmured. “That’s not so bad, is it?” Satori waited for the jerky shake of his head before snickering and pointing ahead with his free hand. “Right, onward then!”

“You’re something else, Ten…,” Sakusa paused at seeing Tendou give him a pointed glance and quickly corrected himself. “Satori-san?”

“See, you’re getting there, Kiyo-kun!” Satori puffed his chest out in pride, counting that as a small victory for getting Sakusa to agree to one of his requests.

Kiyoomi’s fingers gently tightened around Tendou’s as he gave a side-smile. “Well, I wouldn’t dare be so comfortable like this with just anyone, Satori-san.”

Satori sucked in a deep breath before shivering. “A-Ah, it’s cold out here tonight! Don’tcha think so, Kiyo-kun?” Whyyyyyyy did he have to be so cute when he was all respectful and shit like that? It was too sweet… Satori didn’t normally do sweet, but something about him…

“Satori,” a deep, baritone voice called out from one of the shadowed street corners.

Tendou’s head whipped around at that all-too familiar voice calling out to him and he froze in place before swallowing hard. Damn. He had been so lucky each time not to run into anyone either of them knew, and now Satori felt his heart clench as he tried to brush it off, act like it was nothing. “H-Hey, Wakkun! Fancy meeting you out here at night and in the dead of winter!”

“Ah, Sakusa too. I was just out getting a few necessary groceries.” Wakatoshi lifted two bags in order to show the two what he was doing out so late. “I see you both ran into one another while out, but Satori,” Ushijima’s impassive stare bore right through Satori. “Where is Usagi?”

As if out of instinct, Tendou tried to pull his hand out of Sakusa’s, to try and explain the situation before Wakatoshi misunderstood, but the hand wrapped around his own refused to release him. “A-Ah, well that’s because, well y’see-”

“Satori-san and I are out together tonight,” Tendou’s head snapped up and a half-strangled choking sound was the only audible sound he could make. “Usagi-chan is with a babysitter, I believe. So there is nothing to worry about concerning her.”

Wakatoshi’s gaze slowly turned to the entwined hands, lips downturned into a slight frown. He appeared to be trying to take it all in, understanding just what he was seeing. “You two are…”

“Well! I hate to just leave, but I’ve gotta be getting Usagi here soon! It’s past time for her to go to bed and I don’t want to deal with a cranky pup in the morning!” Tendou began to quickly back away, flashing bright smiles to both Alphas. “Byeeeeeeee, Wakkun!”

“Satori, wait-” The red-head was quickly gone before Wakatoshi could finish his thought, Sakusa tugging his mask back onto his face.

“It was nice to see you, Wakatoshi. Take care with getting your groceries home. I’ll see you at our next practice.” He bowed slightly and turned to trot after the Omega, leaving a very befuddled Wakatoshi behind. “Satori-san! Please wait for me!”

Wakatoshi’s frown deepened. If Satori weren’t careful, he’d wind up catching a cold in this weather, and then what would happen to Usagi? For that matter, why was he out seemingly for no reason with Sakusa Kiyoomi? His hands subconsciously clenched the bags he held at that thought before he turned and walked in the opposite direction, still mulling over what he had just seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning on this happening, but I'm shipping SakuTen so hard now. T.T Why do I do this to myself? Don't worry, UshiTen is still endgame, but I may have to explore this new ship outside of this universe...
> 
> Hope all of y'all had a great holiday, I know I did!
> 
> Find me on tumblr and talk haikyuu to me!


	10. How Can I Change Things That I Feel?

Wakatoshi could still remember the first time he ever encountered Satori. It had been the first day of volleyball practice during his first year at Shiratorizawa. The red-head had been a huge ball of energy as he bounded over to each one of their teammates and introduced himself with flourish. Wakatoshi watched as this continued for several minutes until their coach yelled at the Omega to pipe down and pay attention.

It was only when he realized he was standing by the other boy that he introduced himself to Wakatoshi. “Hiya,” he whispered with a bright grin. “I’m Tendou Satori, best middle blocker this side’f Miyagi.” He puffed his chest out as though he were extremely proud of this. “What’s your name?”

For some reason he couldn’t explain, Wakatoshi found himself being drawn to this Tendou Satori. He was… different than what he was used to. Nodding once, he gave a low murmur in response. “I am Ushijima Wakatoshi. I play wing spiker currently, but I hope to be the ace of the team someday. I was the ace of my junior high volleyball team.”

Tendou’s lips seemed to eternally stay upturned, and his lips curved even more it seemed the more Wakatoshi spoke. “Ohh~ we got ourselves a real bonafide professional ace here. Not too shabby.” His eyes sparked with something Wakatoshi didn’t recognize.

He frowned. And what had he meant by ‘not too shabby’? Wakatoshi liked to think he was in fit condition as he had a rigorous daily training regimen, not to mention-

“I like you, Wakatoshi-kun!” Satori’s smile was wide. “We should be friends, okay?”

Ushijima blinked once. “Friends?” Just like that? How could this boy decide with just a simple few words that he wanted to be Wakatoshi’s friend. “I suppose if you’re sure about it…”

“Trust me, Wakatoshi-kun,” Satori murmured while glancing at the Alpha out of the corner of his eye. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

 

* * *

 

Wakatoshi frowned as he watched Sakusa speak with Sawamura. Running into Satori the other evening like he had still left many questions in his mind, and he wasn’t quite sure why. It had taken quite a bit of thought, but it suddenly hit Wakatoshi like a freight train that the reason the pair had been out was that they were entering a courtship.

He realized he should be beyond happy for his friend, but for some reason he couldn’t make himself feel any joy for the pair. He knew Satori had a good head on his shoulders, and Sakusa seemed to be a kind enough Alpha, but he also had heard many stories of how courtships could make both parties throw caution to the wind and forget all about their responsibilities.

Satori had Usagi to worry about and he claimed that the little girl was his everything, so how could he even consider an Alpha courting him right then? Usagi wasn’t Kiyoomi’s pup biologically, so of course Wakatoshi worried for the girl he had grown very fond of. He just couldn’t stand it if she were an innocent victim caught up in her mother’s poor choices, forgotten by the wayside in favor of gaining an eligible Alpha’s attention.

His fingers tightened around the ball in his grasp as he faintly heard the mention of Satori’s name come from Sakusa. Just what could Kiyoomi have to discuss here about Satori? He had much more important things to worry about, like their practice…

“Ushiwaka! What the hell are you doing standing around for?! Serve the damn ball!”

Wakatoshi blinked once, glancing across the gym to find Oikawa glowering at him and Kuroo snickering in the background. “Ah, I apologize, Oikawa.”

“Don’t apologize to me, you oaf! Just serve already!” The brunette mumbled under his breath and watched Wakatoshi closely.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he gauged where the best spot to serve the ball would be and froze in place. Sakusa laughed at something Sawamura said and once again mentioned Satori, the conversation now more audible as the pair walked onto the court.

“That’s right, I think it’s been going really well. I know I’ve got a lot of work, considering everything... But I’m hoping that Satori-san will even be agreeable to bringing Usagi along on one of our nights out. I’d like for Usagi-chan to get to know me better as well.”

The ball flew up into the air and Wakatoshi jumped forward, slamming his hand against the ball. He watched with narrowed eyes as the ball flew over the net, slamming directly into Sakusa’s chest and knocking him down hard. Wakatoshi’s eyes slowly widened and he slowly realized just what he had done; he quickly jogged across the gym to join the rest of his team, now surrounded the fallen member.

“Sakusa! Are you alright? Can you hear me?” Sawamura pried the ball from Kiyoomi’s chest, tossing it to the side as he waited for any sign that there was more damage than initially thought.

The younger Alpha groaned as he slowly sat up and suddenly all eyes were on Wakatoshi. What could he say? He didn’t even realize just what he had done until it had already happened… “I-I am sorry. I didn’t intend for you to get hit, I suppose you just got in the way of my serve.”

Kiyoomi managed a weak smile, accepting the hand Wakatoshi offered him as he stood to his feet. “It’s alright, really.” And it would have been, had their teammates been able to let it go…

“UWAH! That was some monster serve, Ushiwaka!” Bokuto jumped right into Wakatoshi’s personal space and Kuroo’s grin widened.

“Yeah, it sure was,” Kuroo purred before slinging an arm around Wakatoshi’s shoulders. “Y’know, it’s not like you to be so… sloppy. Almost as though you were distracted.”

“Of course not,” Wakatoshi frowned. “What could have possibly distracted me? It was only…” Only what? How could he possibly have a plausible explanation for what had happened? Wakatoshi simply didn’t make mistakes like that. And Wakatoshi absolutely didn’t like the way Kuroo smiled at him, as though he knew something Wakatoshi didn’t.

Before he could question Kuroo about his smug look, a sudden piercing shriek echoed through the gym and Wakatoshi directed his attention toward the sound, one that he recognized all-too well. “WA-WA!” His features softened and he shrugged Kuroo’s arm off before kneeling down, opening his arms out to the toddling little girl that was reaching her arms toward him. Usagi vaulted herself at the Alpha, giggling as her little arms wound themselves around his neck. Wakatoshi sighed in relief and gently pat Usagi’s back; he felt much more at ease with the pup here.

“And how are you today, Usagi?” Wakatoshi gently pressed a kiss to the top of her head and murmured into her ear, relishing in the unintelligible babbles that she gave in response. She was learning so much by leaps and bounds, there was such intelligence in those honey-colored eyes of hers; but since she was barely more than a year old, she still had trouble with forming complete verbal coherent thoughts. Wakatoshi had no worries that she would get the hang of it very soon.

“Well well, there you are, Usagi! Thought you could outsmart me, didja?”

“MA-MA!” Usagi squealed and waved over Wakatoshi’s shoulder at her mother. Wakatoshi’s gaze was now turned to the red-haired Omega standing several hundred feet away, watching the pair with an upturned smile and hands in his pockets. “Ma-Ma, ‘ay!” Usagi stretched her arms out and leaned toward Satori.

Satori sniggered and wagged a finger back and forth. “Nu-uh, Chibi-Usa! How can Mama pick you up when you’re all the way over there?”

The tot couldn’t seem to grasp this concept, lips turning down into a pout. She began to whimper, arm still reaching toward her parent even as Wakatoshi gently placed her to her feet.

“Go on, Usagi,” he murmured lowly and gave her a gentle push. “He’s right over there.”

Usagi didn’t need to be told twice as she quickly made her way back to her mother, throwing her arms around his legs. “Ma-Ma, up! Ma-Maaaaa!” She was inconsolable until Satori finally picked her up, burying her face against Satori’s chest and mumbling incoherently.

“Aww, poor little thing has it so tough,” Tendou grinned. “It must be so hard to be waited on hand and foot, not wanting for anything in the world and have everyone you know just adore you. My poor lil’ girl…” Usagi’s pout didn’t disappear completely, almost as if she knew her mother was patronizing her.

“Is Usagi alright?” Wakatoshi had slowly meandered toward the pair and noted the way the little girl rubbed at her eyes. Perhaps a nap was in order?

“Oh yeah, we’ve just been out most of the day and I think _someone’s_ getting a little fussy. I wonder just who that could possibly be,” Satori ignored the swat Usagi gave him, chuckling and kissing her cheek. “Yeah, we just came by to wait for Kiyoomi. We were planning on checking out the ice skaters at the local rink and laugh at them as they fall on their asses from the shadows. Should be loads of fun!”

And there was that strange feeling again. Seeing Satori’s bright, smiling face as he talked about yet another outing with an Alpha that wasn’t…

Wakatoshi frowned before he could finish that last thought, deciding to confront Satori about his growing concerns. “Satori, I have to ask, do you really think it’s the wisest thing for you to become so involved with an Alpha like this?”

Something in the air changed the moment Wakatoshi spoke up. Satori’s head slowly cocked slightly, smile still on his face. “What’re you talking about, Wakkun? What’s wrong with Kiyoomi? He’s been pretty nice t’me so far.” He gently began to bounce a very fussy Usagi on his hip, intense gaze never leaving Wakatoshi’s stare.

“There’s nothing wrong with Sakusa specifically. He seems to be a very decent person and a talented spiker. My concern is with you, Satori,” he seemed to miss the way Tendou stiffened just slightly. “I know it may have been quite some time since you last dated anyone seriously, but I fear you may be ignoring your most important responsibilities in favor of being courted.”

He gently clasped a hand to Satori’s shoulder, noting silently as Satori’s gaze snapped down to the hand now resting against him. “I only want to make sure you do not make any decisions that you will regret later on in life. Usagi should be your most important priority right now.”

“…are you trying to tell me that I’m not making Usagi number one in my life?” Tendou’s voice was strangely even and calm, his arms tightening around his daughter ever so slightly.

“I have heard that many single parents unfortunately do not see when they are ignoring the needs of their offspring. I only wanted you to be aware before things got out of hand. After all, you never leave Usagi unless it’s for emergencies. That’s why I worry that you might be taking this courtship too seriously much too fast.”

Satori stayed strangely quiet for several seconds before quickly giving a thumbs up. “Yup! Got the message loud and clear,” Satori snapped, smile still firmly in place while shrugging Wakatoshi’s hand off his person. He took a quick step back away from the Alpha and glanced over his shoulder where the gym’s exit was. “Y’know, if you don’t mind, would you tell Kiyo-kun that I’m afraid I won’t be able to make our date tonight? Something’s come up, so tell him I’ll call him when I’m free next.”

Wakatoshi immediately felt more at ease when Satori said that. “Of course. I’m certain Sakusa will understand and will be more than willing to reschedule.”

“Yeah, see ya around, Wakatoshi.” Satori was already turning and hurrying away. Usagi was waving furiously, calling out to the Alpha.

“WA-WA! WA-WA BYE-BYE!”

He smiled and waved in return while watching them leave. It was odd though that Satori didn’t look back, not even once when he was usually so vocal and over-exuberant in goodbyes.

“Do you enjoy making people completely miserable, or are you just honestly _that_ clueless?”

Wakatoshi frowned as the brunette suddenly was in his line of sight, unsure of what Oikawa meant by his scathing comment. “Oikawa, I’m afraid I’m not-”

“That’s exactly my point! You just aren’t! You have no couth, no sense of decorum! Can’t you see how much you hurt Sato-chan just now?!”

Hurt him? Wakatoshi would never dream of hurting Satori in any way. How could Oikawa ever accuse him of such a thing?

“You basically accused him of being a shitty mom and putting some Alpha ahead of his pup! He’s not going to forget this so easily, and if I were him I’d just write you off entirely!” Oikawa was fuming. Ushijima had never seen his teammate so hot, not even when they were on opposing teams in high school.

Oikawa thought that he was accusing Satori of being a bad parent? He would never do something like that! Satori loved Usagi very much, anyone who saw the two together could see that. “I think you’re being a bit presumptuous. I know Satori is a wonderful mother. I was merely telling him that he might be rushing into a courtship and to think about Usagi.”

“You’re even dumber than I thought, Ushibaka! You’ll regret how you spoke to Sato-chan, just you wait and see!” Tooru stomped off before Wakatoshi could even bother to retort.

The Alpha slowly shook his head as he tried to make sense of what just happened. Oikawa made absolutely no perception of the situation with the way he was rambling on and on. Wakatoshi was trying to look out for Satori and Usagi both. He merely stated his opinion on Satori’s dating life and Satori, as odd as he had acted, seemed to accept his suggestions just fine. If it helped his friend and his pup in the end, then how could this possibly backfire on him?

It wasn’t until several weeks later, and during this period of time not hearing a single thing from Satori, that Wakatoshi feared his advice may not have been as welcome as he first thought it was…

_“We’re sorry, but the number that you are trying to reach has been disconnected. Please check the number and try your call again at a later time. Thank you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Wakkun, what are we going to do with you? That's definitely not the way to someone's heart...
> 
> I'm gonna be honest, I'm soooo exhausted from working on Christmas parades for work all week this week, and I just found out some distressing news yesterday about someone dear to me so I'm drained physically and emotionally. Bleh. Can I have a break from life just for a little while please? 
> 
> Find me on tumblr and scream about how cute Usagi is or just talk haikyuu with me!


	11. Slow Down

Satori smiled as he watched his daughter in silence from his seat on the park bench. The pair was enjoying their time at a local park close to their apartment, and Usagi was playing happily in a sandbox without a care in the world. Usagi seemed happy, and that was all Satori ever wanted for his daughter, to give her everything she could ever want and make her the happiest cub ever. But ever since Wakatoshi had spoken to him, said what he did all those weeks earlier, he was beginning to question just about everything…

His brow furrowed, shaking his head as he tried to forget about that. Wakatoshi had absolutely overstepped his boundaries, and as much as Satori cared for the Alpha, he just couldn’t forgive this so easily. If Wakatoshi honestly thought that little of his parenting, if he truly thought that Satori worried more about having a mate than his daughter’s happiness, then maybe Satori didn’t need someone like that in his or Usagi’s life.

But as much as he wanted to think this was for their best interest, to cut Wakatoshi out completely, his heart still clenched and threatened to break every time he thought about losing his longtime friend for good.

“You appear to be deep in thought, Sato-chan~. You should be careful not to hurt your teeny tiny brain by overthinking.”

Satori snorted before glancing up out of the corner of his eye. “And it’s always so good to see you too, Oikawa. Y’know, I’m sure I can refer you to someone to help you take care of that bitchitis. It’s amazing the things they’re able to do with medicine nowadays.”

The brunette huffed and Satori turned completely now to see that the other Omega had a coffee in one hand and his young son happily hanging onto his free side. “I have to wonder why I even bother responding to your requests for play dates when you’re so ridiculous, Sato-chan,” Oikawa snapped without much fire in it and carefully put Takato down onto the ground where the boy cried out upon seeing Usagi.

“UTA!”

Usagi’s head snapped up and she immediately squealed happily and waved furiously before running over and nearly tripping over herself in an effort to be closer to the other cub. “TAT! Mama! Tat!” She pointed a finger at her mother before again turning her attention to the little boy she was easily attached to.

“Yeah, Usagi, Mama sees that it’s Takato-kun. Now you two stay right there where we can keep an eye on you both.” He knew that the two didn’t truly understand what that meant, but he couldn’t help but be the doting parent and warn the pair, now could he?  

Satori snickered as the two small cubs babbled amongst themselves and Oikawa carefully took a seat on the bench Satori sat on. He was so happy to see that his daughter was making friends even at such a young age, hoped that she would continue to grow into even more of a bubbly, happy little girl, much like she had become so far. The two Omegas watched their offspring in silence for several minutes before it was Oikawa surprisingly who broke the silence.

“Ushiwaka constantly asks about you,” Oikaw slung his free arm over one side of the bench, his eyes never leaving his son. “It gets kind of old after a while, since I can hardly stand him as it is, but this is just flat-out annoying the way he’s desperate to know something about you.”

Right, like Oikawa was a perfect shining example of how not to be annoying. Satori fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Oh yeah? And what’ve you told him?”

The fellow Omega shrugged slightly before taking a sip of his coffee. “Nothing, just like you told me to.”

When Oikawa had descended upon him at work shortly after changing his phone number, he had demanded to know everything that had happened, what had caused him to disappear like he had without a trace. Satori had calmly explained that he couldn’t abide by Wakatoshi’s scolding and just thought he and Usagi needed a break from the Alpha for the time being.

Oikawa had vehemently declared (just before Iwaizumi had kicked him off the ICU floor) that he would help both he and Usagi any way he could, so long as it meant he could see Ushijima continue to mope around at practice. Almost two months later, he hadn’t heard a single word from Wakatoshi, and Satori wasn’t quite sure if he was relieved or not.

“I’ve told him that you moved apartments and switched jobs.” Satori’s head whipped around at that. “He seemed to be surprised or something, I can’t ever tell what that jerk is thinking in that thick skull of his,” Oikawa mumbled before taking another long drag of his coffee.

“Yeah?” Satori turned his attention back to the two cubs, smiling as they both ran for the tunnels to crawl through them. “And he never even questioned that?”

“Nope!” Tooru gleefully responded, the thought of Ushijima miserable seeming to give him life. “He just mopes around and keeps to himself now. Saku-chan seems to miss you a lot too, but you told me you’ve been messaging him some, right?”

Ah, Kiyoomi. Satori _had_ in fact sent the Alpha a text when he got his new number, but he told the other that he had decided to take a small break from dating for the time being. Kiyoomi had been more than understanding and just told him to send him a message when he was ready to go out again. Really, the guy was far too good to get involved with Satori and the shit he was dealing with…

“So,” Satori hastily tried to change the subject. “How’s Bokuto and Akaashi doin’? I bet he’s blowing up like a balloon now.”

“Mhm, he’s due in a few months, but you’ve missed out on the latest piece of news by staying away for so long,” Oikawa was grinning madly now. Satori figured it wasn’t as great as the brunette was making it out to be, but he’d bite.

“Oh?”

“Kenma-chan is unexpectedly pregnant now too!”

Now _that_ was news. “Hah? No way,” Tendou snorted and slowly shook his head. “Kenma’s never wanted pups of his own; made that perfectly clear on many occasions that I recall.”

“Well, apparently not clear enough to Kuroo-chan~!”

Damn, he had to wonder how the smaller Omega was doing with all of this. After all, he could also remember a time when he hadn’t wanted pups either, but as he glanced over at his daughter, he just couldn’t even picture his life without her in it. It was hard to believe his little girl would be two years old in just a few more months…

“Hey, Oikawa?” He waited for the assent that he had been heard and acknowledged. “Tell Kenma if he wants to talk about it, to give me a call. I know how rough it can be to take it all in at once. ‘Specially when you weren’t expecting something life-changing like that.”

Tendou failed to notice the small smirk Oikawa gave him, all of his attention being drawn to a wailing cub that unexpectedly threw herself against his knees. “M-Mamaaaaaaaa!” Satori quickly picked Usagi up, cuddling the little girl close to him and kissing her forehead before inspecting her for whatever it was that was ailing her.

“Alright baby girl, now what seems to be the problem?” It wasn’t long before he found the cause of her heart-wrenching sobs: a large scrape was right there on her knee and Satori surmised that Usagi must have fallen down. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and he knew it most definitely wouldn’t be the last. “Hey,” he softly cooed while reaching into Usagi’s bag in order to find antiseptic and a band aid. “Shh, it’s alright, Chibi-Usa. Mama’s got you, Mama’s gonna make your booboo all better, okay?”

Usagi released a loud wail, thrashing about in her mother’s grasp as Satori quickly wiped the antibacterial wipe across the gash. Satori felt his heart break just the slightest bit as his daughter sobbed, but it wasn’t as though he meant to hurt her on purpose. He hoped someday Usagi would realize that everything he did was all for her…

“And there we go! All better!” Satori was pretty proud of his bandaging skills if he did say so himself. “Betcha didn’t know Mama got an A+ in booboo class!”

The red-haired cub sniffled and slowly peeked down at her knee before her eyes slowly widened. Her Mama had put a Kitty-chan bandage on her booboo! She giggled and threw her arms around her mother’s neck, squeezing once. “Mama! Ah ‘ove ew!”

Tendou felt a lump form in his throat as he too wound his arms tightly around his daughter’s form. “I love you too, Usagi.” And just like that Usagi giggled before squirming and crawling out of Satori’s lap, toddling back to Takato.

“Tat!”

“Uta!”  

A sigh escaped Oikawa’s lips as he focused his attention onto his own cub. “I’m having a hard time dealing with Takato growing up too fast… When I come home from training, he’s always so excited to see me and I have to hear from Mika-chan or Hajime how his day was. I love my spot on the national team, but I know it won’t be long before he’s in school, joining a team sport, graduating high school then going off to college.” He whipped his head away, trying to hide tears that threatened to spill over.

Satori blinked owlishly as he watched the sniffling brunette. Wow, whod’ve thought that he would one day actually ever have something in common with Oikawa Tooru? “Hey, I think we’ve got a little while before we hafta worry about the kiddos going off on their own.” He held his phone up with an upturned smile, turning to the two cubs on the playground and snapping a quick picture. “That’s what we’ve gotta make sure to capture as many moments as possible so we have them to look back on!”

Tooru glanced at the photo over Tendou’s shoulder and squeaked. “That one’s adorable! You’d better send that to me, or else, Sato-chan.”

“Slow your roll, Oiks. I’m workin’ on it!” The pair proceeded to scroll through the pictures Satori had taken, oohing and ahhing over the pictures of the two children.

 

* * *

 

“NO!” Usagi was trying to flee her mother’s evil clutches, knowing the moment she was caught it would be time to… Dare she even think it? She would be forced to go to bed! She had already eaten her dinner and received a bath before being put into warm pajamas, so the cub was smart enough to know what was coming next.

Satori huffed as he tried to block every single escape route for the precocious little girl. “Get back here, Usagi! Mama’s had a long day and you _are_ going to go to bed first time tonight!”

“Mama, noooooo!” Usagi wailed and tried to flee into the living area, but she soon realized there was no means of flight for her. The red-haired cub whimpered, lower lip quivering before she let out a pathetic cry and flung herself onto the floor, kicking and sobbing. “M-Mama, n-no! No!” Big fat tears rolled down her cheeks and Satori almost felt sorry for his daughter. Almost. Over a year of learning her tricks and how she operated, and now Satori was more than ready to withstand the tears. He shuddered to even think about the terrible two stage, and it wouldn’t be that long before she actually turned two…

“Come on! Mama will read you a bedtime story if you’ll just come with me and-” The doorbell suddenly rang and Satori inwardly cursed. Who the hell was that at this late hour?! Didn’t they know that he had a kid to put down to bed and a long-ass shift first thing in the morning? Well, whoever was on the other side of that door was going to get a piece of his mind!

Usagi, seeming to realize that this was her chance to flee, slowly crawled up and toddled down the hall. Satori released a heavy sigh through his nose and stormed to the door. “I hope you’re happy, whoever the hell you are,” he snarled, not bothering to look through the peephole as he unlocked the door. “I was just about to put my cub down to sleep and you just ruined it all! You’re the worst kind of person there… is?” He had flung the door open, not expecting to find the last person he had expected on the other side.

Bright olive eyes stared impassively at the Omega before widening slightly. Tendou stared at the Alpha in a mixture of shock and confusion before finally finding his voice. “Wakatoshi?” Satori forced himself to swallow as he stood face-to-face with his longtime friend. “Wh-What’re you doing here?”

Ushijima Wakatoshi was indeed there, standing in front of Satori’s open apartment door, blinking once before clearing his throat. “Satori… I see that Oikawa was wrong,” he murmured lowly. “You’re actually here.”

Was that relief in his voice? Satori wasn’t sure and he wouldn’t dare to presume anything at this point. As he looked his friend up and down, he could tell that the other hadn’t been taking proper care of himself as he normally did. Normally tanned skin appeared to be just the tiniest bit pallid, and his eyes appeared sunken, as though he hadn’t been sleeping much lately. He forced a laugh out before shaking his head. “Yeah, looks like I am. But that still doesn’t explain why you’re here, and so late too.”

Wakatoshi’s brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to respond when the pair was interrupted by a happy squeal. “WA-WA!” He couldn’t help it as his face broke out into a wide smile and he tried to look around Satori in order to get a better look at the little girl.

Satori wanted to refuse him the right to see Usagi, wished he had the strength to turn him away, but seeing how excited the two were to finally see one another again… He sighed and allowed the door to swing open wide. “Y’wanna come in?”

Ushijima nodded his head slowly. “If that would be agreeable with you, then yes I would,” he quietly slid his shoes off at the door. “Pardon the intrusion,” he bowed slightly before once again turning his attention to Usagi.

The red-head slammed the door hard and pressed his forehead against the structure, willing himself to breathe and keep his mind from going a million different directions.

 Just breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hands if you cried at any point during the last episode of haikyuu. I know I did, several times. Thank goodness we still have the manga ongoing though! 
> 
> Well, I received the greatest shock of my life today, this fic has received its first piece of fanart and it's the cutest, most amazing thing I've ever seen! Please, if you get a chance go check it out and give the artist some love! (Unfortunately I don't know how to add links properly to the notes box here, so I'm afraid I have to post the entire link here.)
> 
> http://sscribbles.tumblr.com/post/154277556948/love-andpeaces-usagi-chan-is-the-cutest-child


	12. Break it to Me Gently

 Usagi was reaching out to Wakatoshi, and the Alpha knelt down to her level. “Hello Usagi,” his smile was warm and true. “I’ve missed seeing both you and your mother very much.”

Tendou locked the door behind him once he had slammed it shut. His heart definitely wasn’t jumping up into his throat, his pulse wasn’t pounding and he wasn’t feeling faint whatsoever. Wakatoshi saying he missed seeing both of them meant absolutely nothing at all.

“I got you something. I hope you like it,” Wakatoshi reached into his bag, pulling out a stuffed FIVB toy and offering it to the little girl. Her honey-colored eyes widened and she looked up at Wakatoshi before giggling and snatching it out of his grasp, hugging it tightly against herself.

“Mi’!” Usagi squealed and plopped down onto her bottom, still holding onto the toy. “Mama! Mi’!”

Satori managed a weak grin, leaning down to ruffle at Usagi’s hair. “I see that. Wakatoshi-kun was very nice to get that for you, although Mama still isn’t sure what he’s doing here,” his voice was strained and tight, indicating that he was getting close to losing his patience with the Alpha.

Fortunately, Wakatoshi seemed to take the hint and slowly stood the same time that Satori did. “I apologize, Satori. I was extremely concerned for both you and Usagi since you seem to have changed your phone number and I had no way of keeping in contact with you,” his gaze turned to the red-head now heading for the kitchen. “And I wanted…” He paused, watching Satori’s back now turned to him.

Yes, just what was it he wanted? Why had he been so desperate, yearning to know anything about the pair? That, Wakatoshi couldn’t seem to answer.

The Omega huffed, trying his hardest not to snap. “You planning on finishing that thought, Wakatoshi-kun? Usagi and I both need our sleep sometime this century.” Satori knew that he was being snappy, but he was absolutely exhausted after the day he had had and couldn’t be bothered to care about being nice at that moment. He couldn’t see the other’s reaction, but boy howdy did he ever feel that warm, strong presence as it suddenly appeared directly behind him. He swallowed, fingers tightening around the handle of the refrigerator door.

Wakatoshi reached out, gently prying Tendou’s hand from the refrigerator with ease. “I came to your apartment in order to speak to you, Satori.” It took every ounce of restraint and control for Satori not to completely melt at the low words that were spoken into his ear. All he could focus on was the fact that an Alpha was standing right there, a strong, virile Alpha that would be able to…

“Aha!” Satori began to laugh nervously, slipping away from Wakatoshi’s piercing stare and turning around to face him. “S-So! What made ya decide that you needed to speak to me so badly? Took you long enough, don’tcha think?” He knew that his face was flushed, but it wouldn’t do to lose his cool, not when he was still not ready to forgive just yet.

“Satori,” Wakatoshi slowly began, hoping that his friend would be willing to listen to what he had to say.

“I mean, it isn’t like you did anything wrong that would warrant you keeping your distance, right? Not like you said some really shitty things to me and made me feel like a complete jackass,” the red-head snapped, eyes narrowing.

Wakatoshi tried to step forward, wanted to comfort the Omega whose obvious distress was coming off him in waves and filling Wakatoshi’s nostrils. “My concern wasn’t supposed to be taken in such a-”

“Because let’s not forget that Tendou is just the slut who got knocked up and doesn’t even know who the father of his kid is, so of course he’d be the shittiest mother on the planet!” The more he talked and the more he thought about what happened, the angrier the Omega became.

“What?” Wakatoshi felt his eyes widen. “I never said that,” he murmured and his words were promptly ignored. “I’ve never once thought that of you, Satori.”

Satori began to pace back and forth, the words coming out of his mouth rapid and making hardly any sense. “And of course I don’t deserve to have any kind of happiness for myself because of the choices I’ve made for my life, do I? No, of course not, that’d be lunacy! I deserve to be alone and miserable, right?”

Wakatoshi tried to reach out to Satori, his voice pained and pleading. “Please, listen, I honestly did not mean to-”

“Of course you didn’t,” Satori snapped, his full attention back on the Alpha, getting right in the others face. “You never do, do you? You never see what’s right in front of you, always moving ahead and leaving everyone behind! That’s our Miracle Boy for ya!”

“What are you talking about? I’ve always had perfect vision and am able to see what’s right in front of me. It’s something I pride myself in.” He was growing tired of the snarky comments that made absolutely no sense and wanted Satori to just come out with whatever it was he was trying to say.

The red-head threw his hands up into the air, letting out a contentious snort. “If you have such perfect vision, then how come you never could notice…” Satori stopped himself before he said anything more, though he longed to say everything that was on his heart. Was it the coward’s way out? Sure, but he couldn’t bear it if he were to ruin the longstanding friendship he had maintained with Ushijima.

“Look,” Satori sighed with a slow shake of his head. “I just think you should probably go. You’ve done your good deed for the day, now just leave us alone and you won’t hafta worry over me or Usagi. Mmkay?” He was heading for the door with every intention of opening it and making the Alpha leave his home for the evening.

Just as he opened the door once more, an open palm shot out and slammed the door firmly shut again. “You can’t force me to leave when we haven’t finished our conversation, Satori.” Said Omega jumped slightly in place, throwing a cautious glance over his shoulder before stopping. Wakatoshi’s smoldering gaze almost sent him to his knees, it was just one of the things about the Alpha that drove him crazy.

Trying to keep the façade that he was completely unaffected up, Satori’s lips curved upwards. “Oh? So you have something to add, hmm Wakatoshi-kun? Because I don’t like having my time wasted when I could be putting my cub to sleep.” He tried to push against the solid form in front of him, tried to get away but it was no use.

“I…” He took a deep breath before considering how to best proceed. He didn’t want to completely push the Omega away for good and sever the ties of their bond when it could be helped. “After much time thinking about what I said, I realize my words could have been taken in a way that might have indicated that you haven’t made Usagi’s care precedence in your life.” Wakatoshi waited for owlish eyes to blink once before continuing. “I was informed that my words were calloused and a judgment against your parenting, but I would never mean for you to take what I said in such a way, nor would I think you to be an unfit parent.” The hand still against the door slowly clenched. Wakatoshi’s eyes never left Satori’s. “I only feared you may have been pursuing a courtship too quickly. If what I said upset you, then I apologize.”

It was clear Wakatoshi was hoping his apology would absolve him of any wrongdoing and perhaps even make Satori more than happy to forgive and forget. It wouldn’t be that easy if Satori had anything to say about it. Reddish eyes narrowed as he tried to push against the door and stand to his full height.

“I’ve forgiven a lot of stupid shit that’s been said to me, all because of how I feel about you, Wakkun… But you said things that made me question who I am as a mother, and I can’t just forget what’s been said, you can’t just take words back! Once it’s out there, it’s out there forever!” He sucked in a shaky breath before once again trying to push Wakatoshi back. “It’s gonna take some time for me to just be okay with things and to go back to the way it was before.”

The air quickly changed and suddenly Satori felt strong fingers gripping his arms, shoving him back against the door.

_Submit. Submit to Alpha._

The impulses inside Satori were telling him to give in to this Alpha, stand down against the power in front of him and allow him to do as he pleased. He fought against those urges, damning his Omegan senses for having him feel such a way.

“Satori, please,” this was nothing Satori had ever heard from Wakatoshi before, and he quickly found himself wanting to give him whatever it was he wanted. Yes, take it all if it makes you happy! Satori’s breathing quickly became ragged and he tried his hardest to push away, only to quickly give up and whimper. He could tell from the scent Wakatoshi was giving off that the Alpha was less than pleased with the answer he had been given and before he even knew what was happening…

Wakatoshi froze in place as he watched the Omega lean forward to rest his form against Wakatoshi’s. Low purrs began to emanate from Satori as the other began to nuzzle his face against the Alpha’s neck. Wakatoshi stood perfectly still for several long moments before leaning his head down to quickly inhale the scent Satori was emitting. Everything seemed to fit perfectly in place, so familiar and loving; this was a good Omega, a strong Omega…  

The Alpha allowed his body to move by instinct as an arm slowly moved to wind around the Omega’s waist, which resulted in a sharp mewl. It was going so perfectly, but it all ended much too soon as the pair both heard a tiny sound from behind them.

Usagi, who had been almost completely forgotten, stared at the two with wide, fear-filled honey eyes. A tiny mewling whimper came from the tot and she reached out to her mother and Wakatoshi. The spell was broken. Satori immediately shoved the Alpha off and knelt down to pick his daughter up.

“Hey, Chibi-Usa,” his face was still flushed as he crooned into her ear. “What’s wrong, huh? Mama’s just fine, y’see? Everything’s gonna be alright, so don’t be sad now.”

Wakatoshi quickly realized he had crossed a forbidden line, but instead of being repulsed, he only found himself all the more curious. He opened the door, readying himself to leave mother and daughter and allowed himself once last glance.

Satori stared at him, nodding once before smiling that all-too familiar grin. “H-Hey, I’m gonna get her to bed… I think…” He paused as he tried to find the words needed to continue. “I’ll message you from my new number, okay? I just need…” He needed time to deal with whatever it was that just happened.

The Alpha nodded once, mouth firmly set in a thin line, and before Satori could get another word in, he quietly slipped out the door and into the cold night.

Usagi whimpered again and Satori released a heavy shudder while tightening his arms around the cub in his arms. How could he have allowed instincts to let him forget all about his daughter?

 

* * *

 

 

Wakatoshi waited until he knew he was far enough away before stopping. His lips parted in order to catch his breath, try to even out the rapid beating in his chest, but a sharp snarl came out instead of the shaky breath he had originally intended. He could still taste the metallic tang of what he already knew was blood and opened his mouth in order to place a finger to the injured site.

His canines had elongated, inadvertently cutting the inside of his mouth just slightly. As his finger moved across the canines, his mind began to race. He was an Alpha that was always in control, and when he lost control for seemingly no reason, well it wasn’t a feeling he enjoyed very much.

There was no reason why his teeth should have descended like that, as the only reason an Alpha’s canines would come out as they had was if… If he were preparing to claim an Omega for himself in the throes of a Rut or Heat.

Wakatoshi’s hand yanked itself out of his mouth at that thought and he swallowed, ignoring the blood that he inadvertently tasted in the process. There had to be a reason why his body had reacted as it had around Satori, he just had to find it. Surely there had to be a logical explanation for his body’s reaction, why being in such close proximity with Satori, having all of his senses filled with the spicy-hot scent of an Omega, no, _Satori’s_ scent and the purr that was meant to placate him… _Only him._

Every instinct within him was abruptly snapping at him, urging him to turn right back around, to take what was rightfully his, to claim the Omega and make him his own. “No,” he growled under his breath. He couldn’t do that to his friend. It would only serve to hurt him, he had to do whatever it took to protect both Satori and Usagi. He had to ensure that something like that never happened again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huehuehue how many of you actually thought there would be any ACTUAL UshiTen action? Of course not! We've still got a few more chapters before we see any actual progress! E V I L LAUGHTER (I do count this as a teeny tiny bit of progress for these two dorks.)
> 
> I'm posting a bit earlier than I intended because I'll be gone to Florida all weekend to visit my parents who I haven't seen since Thanksgiving! Lucky y'all! 
> 
> Come stalk me on tumblr and scream about that haikyuu season finale and the latest manga chapters!


	13. Interventions for the Soul

“You did what?! AHAHAHAHAHA! I knew you were pretty damn oblivious, but that shit is crazy!”

“Y’know, I’d almost say he was kidding, but then I realize we’re talking to Ushiwaka!”

Wakatoshi frowned as he watched Kuroo and Bokuto nearly fall out of their seats laughing. He honestly didn’t see what was so funny. When Sawamura had suggested they all go out for drinks and dinner after practice, he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to ask for advice from his team. All he had done was tell his teammates about what had occurred the previous evening at Satori’s apartment, how his canines had popped out in the manner that they had for seemingly no reason, and then asked if he should be concerned with how his body responded. Really, it seemed like they were overreacting.

Oikawa huffed from behind his glass and shook his head. “I swear, I have no idea what Sato-chan sees in someone like you…” He proceeded to finish his drink and slammed the glass down onto the table, continuing to glower darkly at the Alpha.

Sawamura was the only one who had remained silent on the matter, and finally he cleared his throat in an attempt to bring order back to their table. “Oi, let’s all give Ushijima a break. Obviously he hasn’t had much experience with… Things of this nature,” Kuroo snickered at that but quickly stopped at the deadpan stare he received. “I think we should be supportive and try to help him sort through what he’s feeling right now.”

“Oh, of course,” Kuroo nudged Bokuto. “It must be so _hard_ to try and deal with what you’re feeling, Ushiwaka.”

Bokuto snickered and nodded his head furiously. “Oh yeah! You’re more than welcome to _come_ talk to us about anything that’s bothering you. After all, we’re all _members_ of the same team.”

“Nice one, Bo,” Kuroo grinned and high-fived the other.

Daichi groaned and buried his face in his palms while Wakatoshi nodded as though in agreement, the innuendos flying over his head. “I truly appreciate any help you can give to me.”

Oikawa gave a mocking laugh. “Trust me, you’re going to need all the help you can get, Ushiwaka.”

It wasn’t long before everyone around their table quickly shut up once Daichi began to glare at each individual in their party. “I think what everyone is so _kindly_ trying to say, is that you may need to consider that you could very well have feelings for Tendou, but that you’re only now realizing the feelings you have for him.”

Wakatoshi’s brow furrowed as he took in the words Sawamura was telling him. “Of course I have feelings for Satori,” every face, excluding Oikawa, lit up.

“Really?” Bokuto’s grin was wide and infectious.

“Yes. Satori is my friend, I care deeply for him as I would any of my close friends and care for both he and Usagi.”

The looks of excitement dimmed and turned into vacant, blank stares and Oikawa snorted with a roll of his eyes. “Well, I give up. He’s not going to realize shit at this rate.”

“Pfft, like you ever gave him a chance to begin with.”

“Yeahhhhh, I’m startin’ to go with Oikawa on this one too.”

Daichi could do this, Ushijima had come to his team for help and Daichi couldn’t just abandon his fellow Alpha now. Even if it was going to be like pulling teeth to make the other understand that there was more to what had happened than a biological reaction.

He cleared his throat. “And what makes you think that all you feel is friendship? I’m sure you realize that what happened is more than just your Alpha nature coming through.”

Wakatoshi slowly shook his head, not quite understanding what Sawamura was trying to imply exactly. “What else could I possibly feel for Satori?”

“Isn’t it possible,” Daichi slowly began. “That you could very well want to… Well, that your body is telling you to…”

“He means you want to do the frick frack with Tendou!” Oikawa threw his arms in the air, completely exasperated with the whole situation, before slumping back into his chair. “Honestly, how hard is it for a dunce like you to comprehend what your body and mind want you to do?!”

Wakatoshi blinked once, turning his gaze to each of his teammates before stopping once again at Oikawa. “I… I want to _frick frack_?”

“Yeah,” Kuroo slid an arm around the other Alpha’s shoulders. “Y’know, do the horizontal tango with your good ol’ pal? Initiate coitus? Make love? Have a nice good old fashion fuc-”

“Sex stuff!” Bokuto’s excitement was infectious, though Daichi seemed less than enthused.

“Why do I even bother,” he muttered under his breath, taking a long swig from his drink. Honestly, he should be paid for all the shit these idiots put him through.

Wakatoshi was even more confused than ever. Really, all he wanted was some decent advice and now they were trying to say that he wanted to do sex things to his friend. “I don’t… Satori and I are simply not like that.”

“Obviously not,” Oikawa snorted. “But it’s clear from what you’ve told us that you secretly want to be.”

“But I can’t-”

“Let’s play a little game, shall we? Only cause I’m such a kind individual who cares about his friends’.” Wakatoshi was suddenly very nervous at the gleam in Kuroo’s eyes, but he made no move to stop the other. “Is there any reason why you think you aren’t attracted to Tendou? I mean, I know pleeeenty of Alphas who’d like to get a piece of that.”

Wakatoshi’s frown deepened but still he didn’t respond.

“He’s getting pretty close to Sakusa, so are you tellin’ me that doesn’t bother you in the least?”

He licked his lips, pausing slightly before speaking. “I believe Satori can make his own decisions, after all I have seen what my meddling in his personal life can do. He may still be upset with me for the things that I said before about his being courted by someone.”

“And it won’t be long before he has to find someone to share his heats with!”

Oh. Wakatoshi didn’t like the sound of that. Not one bit. Why was his chest hurting now? He didn’t seem to understand why the thought of Satori being claimed by some Alpha that wasn’t himself seemed to bother him as much as it did. Satori deserved to find happiness, yes, but there were hardly any Alphas around that deserved such an Omega as Satori. Satori was so many things, he was bright, outgoing, extremely intelligent, a good parent, and when he smiled a warm, true smile… Seeing his smile always had made Wakatoshi indescribably happy, but who was he to decide just what kind of Alpha the redhead deserved?

“Maybe if you’d look his way like he’s always wanted then he wouldn’t have to date other Alphas.”

Wakatoshi sighed. He was growing weary of Oikawa’s snarky comments. “But Satori does not-”

“Are you seriously that blind?!” Oikawa was suddenly right in Wakatoshi’s face, teeth ground into a snarl. “Wake up and see what’s right in front of you! Sato-chan is madly in love with you and always has been! And if you don’t realize that you feel the same, then you’ll lose him and Usagi forever to a more deserving Alpha!”

Their table was suddenly eerily quiet and it was then that Oikawa realized what he had said. “A-Ah, I didn’t mean… Oh shit,” he groaned. The one thing he shouldn’t have said, and he blurted it out without even thinking.

“Way to go, Oiks,” Kuroo groaned and Bokuto deflated. Even Daichi was watching Ushijima now to see just how he’d react to receiving this news.

“Listen, Ushiwaka,” Oikawa hastily tried to cover his tracks. “I know it probably isn’t-”

“Are you sure about this?” Something in Wakatoshi’s entire demeanor changed, he couldn’t understand why, but hearing there was a chance that Satori held deeper feelings for him, his chest was suddenly filled with warmth like he’d never felt before. “I wouldn’t want to impose if he doesn’t…”

A hand clapped itself against Ushijima’s shoulder as Daichi gave him a hard stare. “If you think there’s any possibility that you could return his feelings, then you need to do so, and fast. Otherwise, I would say the best thing for Satori, and Usagi both, would be for you to not be in their lives anymore. It isn’t fair to Satori to continuously be around the Alpha he cares the most for if he can’t ever return those feelings.”

“If it’ll help, try picturing life without him,” Bokuto chimed in, looking quite pleased with himself. “I think you won’t really like imagining Tendou not in your life!”

Was everyone right? Was it actually possible he had feelings for Satori? Wakatoshi closed his eyes, tried to picture Satori and Usagi both. It was a very good thing to imagine, Usagi squealing as Satori chased her around, but it all changed suddenly as there was an Alpha in the scene. He frowned, tried to imagine something else, but the image wouldn’t leave his mind. His fists clenched together as the faceless Alpha leaned down to give Satori a kiss and then reached to pick Usagi up. They almost looked like a family…

No!

Wakatoshi’s eyes snapped open and he stood from his chair, grabbing his coat. He couldn’t allow this to happen, the thought of someone else being the one there for Satori and Usagi was just something he couldn’t stand.

“Where’re you going?”

He paused momentarily before shrugging his coat on. “I’m going to find Satori,” was all he said before he quickly exited, but before he was out of hearing range, he could have sworn he heard someone yell ‘FINALLY’ in the background.

 

* * *

 

Satori whistled while craning his neck to get a good look at his surroundings. He had finally contacted Sakusa, asked if they could go to dinner and the Alpha seemed excited for the opportunity to see Satori once again. “You sure know how to pick nice places. Bring all your dates here or somethin’?”

Kiyoomi chuckled before taking his seat across his companion, giving a slight shrug in response. “Considering I don’t date much at all, you’ll be pleased to know you’re the first I’ve brought here. I had heard it has good reviews, and there’s an ice cream shop close by that we can visit afterwards, if you’d like.”

The redhead felt his stomach drop and began to chew on his lower lip. “Ah, y-yeah! Maybe we can…” He couldn’t believe he’d say such a thing, but knowing what he had to do made him lose any appetite for his favorite sweet treat.

They ordered their entrees and waited in silence, Satori quickly chugging down his drink to try and gain the courage he needed to say what he had to.

“Is everything alright, Satori-san?”

“Yup!” He didn’t skip a beat, offering a bright smile even though his heart hurt so badly. “Just peachy, Kiyo-kun!”

He seemed to accept this, and the duo proceeded to eat once their food had come out, making small casual conversation when the opportunity presented itself. Satori was nervous as hell though, and it probably showed all over his face.

“Satori-san?”

His head whipped up right as he was shoveling food into his mouth. “Mmrmph?”

Kiyoomi chuckled, reaching across the table to offer the Omega a napkin. “Sorry, I was just going to askif you were really sure everything was fine. You’re quieter tonight than usual, is something on your mind?”

He froze, unsure of how to respond to that. Sure, he had lots on his mind, but had no idea how to vocalize just what he was thinking right in that moment.

“Is it Usagi? I know you left her with a sitter, but you’re more than welcome to call and check on her. I have no objections to that whatsoever.”

Ah damn… He hated that Kiyoomi was such a great guy, always concerned about both he and his daughter. Satori knew that Usagi was safe and sound with Suga while he was out, but that wasn’t why he was so worried.

He sighed once he swallowed his food, realizing he had to just come out and say it. “Kiyo-kun, Kiyoomi, I gotta be honest with you. And I hate being honest.” His gaze turned down to his plate, taking a deep breath while trying to gather his thoughts. “I like you, a lot more than I first thought I would, and you’re really great, a great Alpha who deserves a great Omega, but…”

“But I’m not the one you really want,” Kiyoomi wore a sad smile as he reached out to gently grasp Satori’s hand with his own. “I know, Satori-san. I guess I just hoped that I might someday turn into that Alpha that you could love.”

Shit, he didn’t want to feel this bad for having to end things. “I just-” His voice cracked and he silently cursed. “’M sorry… I know I’m the worst, but I just don’t think it’s fair to you to keep your hopes up. I dunno that I’ll ever feel anything for any Alpha.”

“Because they aren’t Wakatoshi-san?”

Tendou visibly winced at the mention of the other Alpha and nodded silently, giving Sakusa’s fingers a gentle squeeze. “Sorry,” he murmured once again.

Kiyoomi sighed and Satori lifted his head to find the curly-haired Alpha smiling weakly. “I understand, I wish you could move on, but the heart wants what the heart wants. I only wish Wakatoshi would see how wonderful you are. Believe me, I hate to see you so miserable like this.”

He tried to wave a hand flippantly. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve been torturing myself like this for more than ten years now. What’s another ten or twenty more?”

They both managed a laugh at that and continued with their meal. Satori felt a lightness within him that he hadn’t felt previously, and was very happy when Kiyoomi even promised that they would continue to stay friends. Eventually they finished their dinner and exited the restaurant, sharing a hug in front of the building.

“I hope you find your happiness someday, Satori-san. I mean that, you’re too amazing not to experience the happiness that you deserve. Although, I think you should be honest with Wakatoshi-san and tell him how you really feel. You’ll never know if he feels the same unless you try.”

A lovely flush covered Satori’s face and he shrugged, trying to ignore the way his heart thumped at hearing that. “Eh, we’ll see I suppose.” He shrugged as though it were unimportant to confess. “I’ve always enjoyed living my life vicariously from one moment to the next. Knowing what you’re gonna do, makes it kinda boring, don’tcha think?”

Sakusa laughed and shook his head. “Have a good night, Satori-san. I’ll see you around.”

“Yup! See ya ‘round, Kiyo-kun!” He jammed his hands into his pockets, grinning from ear to ear as he shuffled down the opposite end of the street. Everything would be just fine, he’d go pick Usagi up and then they would go back home as normal. Honestly, why did he even need to be seriously courted by someone? It just seemed like too much fuss in his opinion…

“Satori?”

He stopped mid-step, snatched out of his inner musings as he focused on the individual just in front of him. Reddish eyes blinked and Satori cocked his head to the side. “Wakkun? What’re you doing here? You look like you’ve been running.”

He saw something akin to relief flood the Alpha’s eyes. Wakatoshi took a step forward, planting his hands on Satori’s arms, holding him in place.

If Satori was surprised to find Wakatoshi on the same street that he had been walking down, then this shocked the living hell out of him. “Wakatoshi, what’re-”

“I don’t know,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving Satori’s face. “Something told me to find you. I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

He whipped his head back and forth to indicate that there was nothing to interrupt. “Wakkun…”

“I,” he paused, shaking his head before seeming to gather his thoughts. “I know I shouldn’t dare ask, but is it true?” Satori’s head cocked slightly as he waited for the Alpha to continue. “Do you… Ah, I’m afraid I don’t quite know how to ask this. The words won’t seem to come out even though I want them to.”

“Wakatoshi,” he slowly began, letting his hands fall around Wakatoshi’s waist.

“Satori, do you feel-” The words were stopped by the shrill sound of a ringtone and both Alpha and Omega stopped in place.

“Sorry about that,” Satori gave a nervous laugh, fishing around his pocket for his phone. “Could be about Usagi, lemme just see.” The caller ID read _Semisemi_ and Satori snorted before hitting the accept button.

“A-Ah, Semisemi! What’s going on?”

_“Sorry to be calling so late, but I needed to talk to you as soon as I could.”_ Eita sounded… off. It wasn’t like his friend to sound like that.

“Woah, what’s going on? Is everything okay with you?” He turned his back to Wakatoshi, having been freed from the Alpha’s grip on his arms.

_“I’m alright! Don’t worry about me. I-I don’t know how to say this… I ran into one of your brothers earlier today.”_

Satori rolled his eyes. “And you thought this was headline news, Semisemi?” He chuckled, only to stop at Semi’s next words.

_“This is important! He said… He said he had to try and get in touch with you somehow. He,”_ Eita paused before continuing in a shaky breath. _“He told me that you had to come back home.”_

“Ha! That’s a load of shit. I’m not going back home for anything and they all know that! Pretty sure they prefer if I don’t come back home.” Satori began to laugh and stopped only when he felt a heavy hand against his shoulder. He recognized the grip as Wakatoshi and again turned his attention to Eita on the other end of the line.

_“Satori, just shut up and listen for two seconds! Your brother, he said it’s about your mother.”_ Satori was ready to tell Eita where his brother could shove his concern over their mother. _“He said your mother was diagnosed with cancer… He told me she’s terminal and may not last another year. That’s why they want you to come back home…”_

“She what?” His voice was nothing more than a quiet whisper, his hands began to shake and he almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Satori? Is everything alright?” Satori couldn’t even respond to Wakatoshi’s concern, couldn’t feel anything but numbness as the phone slid from his grasp onto the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just call me the Mother of Angst, here to supply all your angst needs! Did y'all honestly think they'd confess to each other and live happily ever after? Naw, we still have to find out who Usagi's father is! And that will be an interesting arc in the next couple of chapters...
> 
> I hope y'all had a great Christmas and holiday season! I know I sure did! I got engaged to my boyfriend just a couple days ago and now have to start planning for my wedding which will be summer of 2017! That means updates may be less consistent. 
> 
> I apologize, but I'm going to do my best to finish this story before I get married! I promise y'all that much! 
> 
> As always, feel free to find me on tumblr and scream about anything to me! I promise I don't bite!


	14. Hard Time Forgiving, Even Harder Forgetting

The last thing Satori wanted was to return to Miyagi and deal with his family. However, he knew there was really no way out of this kind of thing, and not being able to have an escape route was the kind of thing that _really_ annoyed him. He wanted nothing to do with his family, but if he didn’t at least acknowledge that his mother was more than likely in the final months of her life, then he would miss his opportunity to finally let out everything that was on his heart.

Was he ready for that sort of thing? Probably not.

It had taken several weeks for Satori to be able to find any time to take off and come to Miyagi, (not that he was trying to rush back home first chance he got) and when he and Usagi showed up on Eita’s doorstep, he was pleasantly surprised to find his friend with a very pronounced belly.

Now Usagi sat in Eita’s lap, babbling happily and gently patting the Omega’s stomach while Satori grinned from his seat at the sight. “Y’know, pregnancy looks good on you, Semisemi.” He propped his chin up with his hand while gauging the other’s reaction.

“Temi baby!” Usagi squealed and clapped her hands. Her young toddler mind couldn’t quite wrap around just what was so exciting about ‘Temi’ having a baby, but it seemed to make her mama and Temi happy, therefore giving her a reason to be happy in that moment.

The ash-blonde blinked as he tore his attention away from the cub in his lap. He snorted and rolled his eyes. “Hayato says the same thing, I swear,” he muttered under his breath with a wry grin.

“But it’s truuuuue! You’re such a cute, pregnant Omega!” The redhead singsonged before jumping out of his chair and reaching a hand out to press against Eita’s rounded stomach.

Eita’s face quickly turned red and he gently tried to push the other’s hand off his person. “Not _that_ cute,” he mumbled quietly.

Before Satori could refute his friend’s claim, he was rewarded with a firm nudge against his hand. He stiffened and slowly craned his head down to stare. It was only a small thing, but it jarred Tendou more than he liked to admit. He stared hard at Eita’s belly, waiting to see if it would happen again.

It was all so strange, seeing his friend like this, so excited and round and so sickeningly happy as he gushed about his unborn pup, the first one that had made it this far in a pregnancy. Satori was reminded of his own experience with his pregnancy, back when he had no intention of raising Usagi himself and never had the opportunity to relish in the time he carried his daughter. He had never cherished each gentle nudge and kick she gave, never got to enjoy each visit to his doctor where he was able to see just how much she had grown since the last visit…

“Satori?” It was finally Semi’s questioning tone that shook him out of his thoughts and he yanked his hand back as though his stomach had burned him.

He hopped to his feet, laughing nervously all the while. “Ah, sorry sorry! Guess seein’ you with a volleyball in your belly has me more distracted than I thought. Who knew you’d look so good like that when you can’t even pull off casual attire!” He knew from the pointed stare he received that Semi wasn’t buying it for a second, but he still gave Satori a quick smile before winding an arm around Usagi, still seated in his lap.

“If you say so,” he began to run fingers through Usagi’s messy red locks. “I think your mama is a very silly guy, don’t you think so?” He murmured into the little girl’s ear, grinning at the sharp laugh he heard.

Satori squawked and reached down to quickly pluck his daughter away from Eita. “Don’t you even think about turning on me, Chibi-Usa!” Usagi shrieked happily as her Omega parent began to plant kisses all over her cheeks.

“MAMA! No!” She continued to squeal and squirm in her mother’s grasp. “Mamaaaaaaa!”

“Alright, alright,” he snickered before giving her one last kiss. “Mama’ll stop, but only cause I have to go do some stuff I really don’t wanna.”

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

In all honesty, no, he didn’t want to deal with his parents or brothers. He would much rather be back in Tokyo with his daughter, but it was for Usagi he knew he had to do this. Once and for all, he would confront them, and then he would turn around and never look back.

He knelt down, placing Usagi to her feet before kissing the top of her head and addressing Eita. “Look after Usagi for me, will ya? I don’t know how long I’m gonna be.”

He heard a snort, followed by a soft _“as if you even had to ask.”_

“Now Usagi,” he began with a sly grin. “You make sure to be good for Semisemi, okay? Unless he’s not looking, in which case you feel free to do whatever you want and cause all sorts of mayhem and destruction.”

Usagi giggled before throwing her arms up into the air. “’ay Mama!”

“Oi, don’t you dare-”

“Whoops! Gotta go, Semisemi! Have fun though!” Satori snatched his hoodie and proceeded to flee the house before Eita could waddle after him. Once out of his friend’s home, he took a deep breath and glanced behind him one last time before jamming his hands into his pockets and trudging down the street.

It took some time for him to arrive at the hospital and Satori had been dreading what he knew would be a less than pleasant interaction with his family. The glass doors slid open and Satori walked into the hospital with no problem. The facility smelled of disinfectant and other familiar odors that he was used to, but not even those familiar scents he was so used to could put him completely at ease. He stopped at a nurse’s station, asking which room his mother was in before quietly trudging forward.

Satori made a complete stop upon seeing two familiar redheaded Alphas, both talking quietly to one another, his brothers. He took a deep breath and put on his happiest face, lifting an arm in a greeting. “Yo, been awhile hasn’t it?”

Both Alphas jerked their heads toward Satori, eyes wide and jaws hanging open in shock. Huh, guess they hadn’t been expecting him to actually show his face.

“S-Satori? It’s really you…” His older brother, Sorin, weakly smiled and before Satori could get a word in edgewise, threw his arms around his younger brother. “I was worried you wouldn’t come, even when I ran into your high school friend and told him about mom…”

His oldest brother, Daiki, snorted, and Satori felt a hand ruffle at his hair. Both his brothers were taller than he was, not by much, but the height difference was still there. “You haven’t changed one bit, still got that crazy hairstyle and ridiculous fashion sense.”

Reddish eyes blinked as he glanced down at what he wore, jeans with an old worn-out Naruto hoodie. “What’s wrong with this? I’ll have you two know that anime apparel is all the rage in Tokyo!”

“If that’s the case then I bet you’re the most fuckin’ fashionable Omega in all of Tokyo.” Satori made an affronted sound at his brother’s teasing.

Sorin grinned and shook his head. “Still the same old Satori, even after all this time.”

And just like that, the happy reunion with his older brothers was over. Satori tried not to be bitter toward Daiki and Sorin, but it was so hard. He shrugged noncommittally. “Yup, guess I’m still the one and only Miracle Boy Satori. Even after all the years we haven’t spoken.”

Both Alphas chuckled before his oldest brother nodded toward the room they stood directly in front of. “She’s in there with dad. He hasn’t hardly left her side since she got the diagnosis a few months ago, and it’s been hard on all of us.”

“All she’s talked about is wanting to see you,” Sorin slid an arm across Satori’s shoulders, tried to guide him closer to the door. “Says she can’t be at peace until you two have spoken to each other.”

Then why didn’t she reach out to him if she wanted to make peace so damn badly? Why send her other children to do her dirty work?

Daiki reached out and opened the door, walking in ahead of his brothers. “Mom, dad, someone’s here to see you.”

No, _someone_ is here to get this over with and never darken their doors once he had said all he needed to, but Satori didn’t voice his true feelings. He shook his head and stepped across the threshold, staring blankly at the Alpha-Beta pair across the room.

His father hadn’t changed much, still the tall, lanky Alpha with bright red hair all three of his sons had inherited, still had the same happy face he had always known, only now there was such exhaustion in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. His father jumped to his feet, smile stretching across his face at seeing his youngest son actually standing right in front of him.

“Satori! You really… It’s so good…” The last thing the Omega expected was his father to make strides across the room to wrap his arms around him. “Welcome back, Satori,” was the choked response his father managed to get out.

Satori ignored the burning in his eyes, wrapping an arm around his Alpha parent in response before managing a strangled response. “Y-Yeah, good to see you too, dad.”

“Gorou, let the boy go, you’re going to smother him if you’re not careful.”

And there she was, the bane of Satori’s existence, one Tendou Michiru. Growing up, he had thought his mother to be an attractive Beta woman, with her long black hair and soft facial features. Now, she wore a cap on top of her head, more than likely to hide the fact that her hair had fallen out, and her face was worn out and paler than usual.

“Yeah, great to see you too.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm and his mother shook her head in response.

“I don’t want to argue, Satori. I just want to talk.” She sounded exhausted, like all the fight was gone from her.

“Really? Sure seems like such a convenient time for you to have a change of heart.” Satori could see his family visibly wince, but his mother merely smiled and motioned to an empty chair by her bed.

“Sit, tell me what’s been going on in your life, won’t you?”

He didn’t trust his mother for a minute, but he took her up on the offer of having a seat and leaned back in the chair once he sat down. “Not much to tell. Still working. Still unmated and single.” He shrugged, but his mother was undeterred it seemed.

“And the pup? How is she faring?”

Suddenly all eyes were on Satori and he could feel their gazes boring into his back.

“Pup?” Was his father’s shaky question. “Wh-What pup?”

“Oh. I ran into Satori about a year or so ago, he had a little girl with him and said that she was his daughter. So, how is she?”

Satori opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by his brother. “What do you mean you ran into Satori a year ago? Don’t you think that was something we should have known about?!” Sorin’s teeth were ground together as he glowered at their mother.

Michiru sighed and turned her gaze away as though this turn was a bother to her. “Honestly, I didn’t think it was something important to talk about. Satori made it clear he had no intention of having us in his new life, so I thought it would do no good to have anyone know about us meeting.”

Wait, so they had no idea that he had even had a baby? Satori’s ire only grew with each passing second that he was in his mother’s presence, and it seemed his family was quickly losing their patience with her as well.

“But you knew that he had a child!” Satori felt his heart clench at hearing the pain in his father’s tone. “We could have been there for them both! Why would you not tell me?” Oh, he sounded so hurt.

“There is a reason I wanted you to be here, Satori,” his mother ignored the outcries of her older son and husband, ignored the glares she received from them, and focused all her attention onto her youngest child.

“Oh this oughta be good,” Satori muttered, slipping his arms behind his head as he grinned. “Sure, lay it on me. Let’s hear what you’ve got to say this time.”

There was a pregnant pause, and after a full minute of silence, a choked sob came from his mother. “I-I know I shouldn’t ask this of you, but…” A sniff followed by another soft sob. “I know how I’ve treated you since you presented as an Omega, I know how it wasn’t f-fair to you, Satori.”

Satori’s brow slowly arched, wondering just what kind of game his mother was playing. “Look-”

“I thought I was protecting you by depriving you of the basic needs an Omega has,” her voice was a whisper and Satori wondered if he’d heard her right. Was she insane? How could she even think the way she treated him was a help?!

“So, you thought that refusing me touches and affection, doting on Daiki and Sorin while I was ignored, forgetting all about me while I was growing up, giving me no reassurance and treating me like a shit stain was protection?” The more he talked, the angrier he became. “Fuck that!” Satori jumped to his feet, getting right in his mother’s face. “You don’t get to treat me like that and expect things to be alright with some shitty excuse like that!”

His mother winced, whether from pain or from Satori’s words, he wasn’t sure. She leaned back against her bed before again speaking. “I had a younger brother, and you remind me so much of him… He was an Omega too.”

“Do you think I’m stupid? Your brother was a Beta.” Really he was getting tired of her trying to distract him…

“Yes, the brother you met is a Beta, but I also had a younger brother. You never met him because he died during his first year of high school. He was an Omega as well.”

And eerie silence filled the room, and from all appearances, his brothers had no idea about this uncle their mother had failed to mention.

“He was so smart, so outgoing, and everyone loved him,” her lips quirked up into a warm smile as she spoke fondly of this mystery brother, the realest smile he had ever seen from Michiru. “B-But he was also tormented mercilessly by his peers, called such awful names and even beat up, all for being a male Omega… I saw how my own parents had coddled him as he grew up, always too concerned for him and his needs, just because he was an Omega. And one day,” she paused, shuddering and burying her face in her hands. “I-I found him in his room after he took his own life. H-He just couldn’t handle it, couldn’t take the way he was treated anymore.”

Satori slumped back into his chair, dumbfounded and completely unsure how to proceed.

“Th-Then I had you,” she chuckled weakly. “You were so much like my brother from the start, I worried you would present as an Omega but hoped you would be an Alpha like your brothers, or a Beta… Anything would have been better than a male Omega.”

Satori tried to swallow, but his throat was so dry.

“And then my worst fears came true when you presented as an Omega.” The way she said it made it sound like he was diseased. “I didn’t know what to do, I was so terrified for you…” Michiru tried to reach out to Satori, but her son jerked back, just out of her reach. “I swore, I swore I would raise you to be stronger than my brother had been, I wouldn’t coddle you unnecessarily and I thought… That would make you stronger.”

All Satori remembered from his younger years was being shunned from the rest of the family, crying for affection and getting the cold shoulder from his mother, especially during his heats when he was left all alone with only water, no food or painkillers of any kind. He remembered when he needed a shoulder to cry on when he realized that Wakatoshi would more than likely never return the feelings that he had for him, and when he called his mother, hoping she would be the one to help him, she had snapped at him, told him not to call her about such trivial matters before hanging up on him.

 Had that made him strong when dealing with individuals who teased him for being Omegan? Maybe, but when he had been growing up and felt so unloved and even hated at times…

It was why he made a vow to be nothing like the woman before him when he decided to keep Usagi and raise her. Satori’s fingers clenched onto his jeans and he bit his lip in an effort to keep the tears at bay. “I…” What was he going to say? What _could_ he say after that? “I need…” He knew he was furious with his mother, no matter her reasoning for raising him the way she had. He had so much he wanted to get off his chest, to tell her how much he had despised her, no matter what he reasoning had been.

“I need Usagi,” he finally gasped out, jumping to his feet and fleeing the hospital room. Not once did he look back and it wasn’t until he was back on Eita’s doorstep that he fell to his knees and broke down sobbing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I ever stop tormenting my precious child? Maybe someday, but today is not that day... I highly recommend listening to Hard Time by Seinabo Sey. It's an awesome song, and the one I listened to on repeat while writing this chapter! It's one of my favorites right now!
> 
> I hope y'all had a wonderful New Years! I had a great one and I'm so excited for what 2017 has to bring this year! 
> 
> Stop by and talk to me on tumblr and squeal about Usagi, UshiTen, haikyuu-related things, or feel free to just say hi!


	15. Hold On

“Mama! Mama ‘oo!”

Satori’s lips quirked up into a weak smile as he looked down at the scribbles Usagi made on the piece of paper she had found. “Yeah, that looks great Chibi-Usa.”

The cub preened at the praise, however listless it was, and went back to making her formless scribbles with her crayon. Satori couldn’t help but chuckle at how intense she looked while she made her drawings; she was so innocent, so unaware of how the world really was, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t there to protect her from things that might try to do harm to her.

He’d be a much better mother than his own had been.

He had spent the rest of the afternoon holed up in Eita’s guest bedroom with Usagi, refusing to say a single word about what had happened between him and his family. Semi had of course been concerned when he found his friend crumpled on his front porch, sobbing and muttering incoherent things. He tried to ask Satori what had happened, but the other clammed up and stayed oddly silent considering how loud and boisterous he normally was.

Satori had immediately scooped his daughter up and fled to the room they were staying in, just watching her and gently running his fingers through her messy locks. “You know Mama loves you, right,” he murmured quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m gonna do everything I can to make you happy.”

Usagi paid him no mind, still entirely focused on her current task. The way she screwed her face up in concentration seemed strangely familiar, but Satori tried to banish those kinds of thoughts to the back of his mind. No, she looked entirely like him and no one could tell him otherwise, no matter how much she was changing in such a short amount of time.

“Hey, Satori,” there was a gentle knock before the door swung open, Semi on the other side with an exhausted smile on his face. “How are you feeling now?”

He glanced up at his friend before shrugging slightly. “Oh, y’know, like sunshine and lollipops.” Honestly he still felt like shit, but he sure wasn’t about to let Eita know that.  No, he was the one that had to put on a brave face, he wouldn’t be the one to cause any undue stress to his very pregnant friend.

Of course Eita saw right through him, rolling his eyes with a click of his tongue. “You do know you can’t keep yourself holed up like this, right?”

“Sure I can,” he chimed out in a singsong tone. “Just watch me, Semisemi!”

Eita seemed less than amused by this reaction as he studied Tendou with a calculating gaze. He shook his head once, a hand rested to his distended belly before he moved to shut the door once again. “I think you’d feel a lot better if you’d just talk about what happened, but if you’re sure…”

“Yup! Just peachy! Lemme know when Hayato gets back and we’ll come right out!” This of course was code for ‘I need time, don’t push me right now’. Eita smiled weakly and nodded once before gently shutting the door behind him.

Once again, he and Usagi were left to their own devices and Satori leaned down to again focus on his daughters’ scribbles, soon lost in his own thoughts while he ran fingers through her hair. Maybe she’d grow up to be a little artist, a nurse, or maybe a teacher! She was certainly smart enough to do whatever she put her mind to. It wouldn’t be long before he would need to look into schools too, as well as when the earliest he could have her start sports programs was. Oh he couldn’t wait to experience all of that with Chibi-Usa, to hopefully have a strong bond with his daughter as she grew up and got older.

The duo sat there on the bed and Satori enjoyed watching his daughter, nodding and humming in response anytime Usagi would demand that he look at something she had done. How much time passed, Satori wasn’t sure. It was some time later when he was quickly snatched out of his inner musings at the soft sound of Semi’s voice right outside the door.

“I’m sorry to ask you to do this on such short notice, but I had no idea who else to turn to. You’re probably the only one that can reach him at this point.”

Satori felt an eyebrow arch. Just what the hell was Eita talking about? And _who_ was he talking to?

“It was no problem at all. I was concerned when you told me what happened, so I ensured that I was able to take the next train back here.”

The redhead froze in place at the rich baritone voice he heard in that moment. He knew without a doubt just who it was outside the door, but why the hell was he there? Why had Eita called him to come all the way back to Miyagi?

Before Satori could dwell on the possible answers to this conundrum, the door quickly swung open and Wakatoshi stepped over the threshold and into the room, Eita shortly behind him. Satori and Wakatoshi stared silently at one another, each unsure if they should be the first to speak up. Fortunately, neither of them would have to worry with that for long.

“Wawa!”

All eyes turned to the beaming tot and Wakatoshi’s lips curved up into a warm smile, leaning down to reach out to the squealing girl. “Hello, Usagi. I have not seen you in a while, have I?”

The girl babbled incoherently, flinging her arms around her precious Wawa and snuggling against him. She let out happy little mewls to show just how happy she was to be reunited with the Alpha she was so close with.

“Hey Usagi?” Everyone’s attention turned back to Semi as he reached a hand out to the redheaded cub. “I’ve got some green tea cake in the kitchen, would you like some too?”

As soon as the word ‘cake’ was uttered, that was all Usagi’s young ears heard. “Ya! ‘ake!” She quickly released Wakatoshi and took Eita’s hand, allowing the Omega to lead her into his kitchen. Of course this now left her mother and Wakatoshi alone in the guest room and the pair still hadn’t said the first word to one another.

Satori swallowed hard, trying to keep his bravest face on, but finding it difficult to do so. What could he say, other than: “So, what brings you here, Wakatoshi-kun?” Satori chirped out, grinning with his head cocked to one side as he studied the Alpha.

“Eita called me earlier.” Well no shit, he had already figured that much. “He informed me that you had an encounter with your family, and that it might have upset you?”

“Mmm, nope! I dunno why he’d do something like that, but I’m just fine!” Satori plopped back down onto the edge of the bed, looking up at Wakatoshi and wishing he’d buy that and not push the issue.

It seemed to work. “Ah, I see,” he murmured. Satori was hopeful that Wakatoshi would soon be on his way, but luck didn’t appear to be on his side. “Then I hope you won’t mind if I stay here longer? My train back to Tokyo doesn’t leave for another few hours, and I had thought that maybe we could talk.”

“Sure sure, Wakkun! What’s on your mind?” Satori’s palms soon felt clammy as he clenched his fingers into the fabric of his pants, trying to find the right words to say. Did he want to talk to Wakatoshi? Of course! Any way he possibly could was fine with him; before he could say another word, he watched as the Alpha took a seat on the bed right by Satori and every single one of his Omegan senses began to go off.

Well, this was a new turn of events. Satori really hated not being in control over his instincts, and this certainly wasn’t the first time he had been in close proximity with his friend, but for some reason he felt his heart hammering against his rib cage this time, and damn, he smelled so good…

“Satori, I was wanting to speak to you.”

“Mhm?” Satori leaned ever so slightly closer toward the Alpha, allowing his eyes to close and a quick inhale of this strong, spicy scent.

“I realize we have not had a proper chance to speak about the events that occurred in your apartment, and I was hoping to rectify that.”

Was Wakatoshi using a new shampoo? No, that couldn’t be right, he’d never changed shampoo brands in all the years Satori had known him. Still, he smelled _really_ good… Damn, he hated how weak he really was around his friend.

“I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about how I reacted to you and your scent that night, and I have come to a single conclusion thanks to the help of my teammates.”

And how the hell could he look so hot in khakis? _Nobody_ could pull khakis off! But these, these seemed to hug his thighs just right.

“Yeah, sure,” Satori mumbled while giving the Alpha the side eye, admiring with an appreciative gaze.

Wakatoshi cleared his throat, rubbing the tops of his legs with his hands, almost as if he were nervous about what he had to say next. “Satori, I find myself realizing that I can’t stand the thought of you with an Alpha. That is, an Alpha that is not myself. The only conclusion I could come to after discovering this, was that I may hold some kind of attraction for you.”

Satori stiffened, jerking his head back as he stared at Wakatoshi while blinking only once. Was this some kind of joke? He had only dreamed of having the Alpha say things like that to him, but to even think for a minute that it was possible for him to feel that way about him…

“I… I realize my feelings may not be warranted, you may even feel resentful of me for confessing this to you when you have been courted by someone, but I,” he paused, licking his lips before turning his upper half to face Satori properly. “I’m not the best at expressing myself, my emotions, but I-”

The statement remained unfinished as Wakatoshi found himself on his back with Satori hovering over him, an unusually solemn look on his face. “Hey, Wakatoshi-kun,” Satori murmured, leaning in ever so slightly. “You aren’t messin’ with me, are you?”

Wakatoshi’s brow wrinkled in confusion at the question presented to him. “No Satori, why would I ever-”

“I just have to know, that’s why,” the Omega appeared on the verge of breaking down, bursting into tears at any moment. “You… You can’t just tell me something like that and not expect me to think you’ll just take it all back, or that it’s all just some dream.”

“Satori,” a hand reached up, gently cupping the other’s jaw and watching in silence as Satori’s face grew closer and closer to his own. “I assure you, this is not a dream. I believe I would be aware if this were.”

“I’m not,” his gaze flicked to Wakatoshi’s lips. “I’m not seeing Kiyoomi anymore, if you were worried about that.” He could see the visible relief in the Alpha’s eyes, or was that his own wishful thinking? “Y’know, even if this is all a dream,” Satori hummed thoughtfully while his fingers traced the features of the Alpha beneath him. “Then it’s a damn good dream.” Throwing caution to the wind, he leaned down and pressed his lips lightly against Wakatoshi’s, sighing happily. Even if he only had this one kiss, he would definitely remember it for the rest of his life. Wakatoshi’s lips were chapped, but he tasted of spice and strength and, and…

Oh so familiar, like he had been waiting for an Alpha like this, _this_ particular Alpha, his whole life.

As Satori began to pull back, his eyes snapped open at the low growl that emanated from Wakatoshi, and soon found himself on his back. It appeared that the tables had turned, not that he minded one bit. Soft purrs resonated from deep in Satori’s throat and his fingers carded through short, dark locks. Those purrs seemed to ignite something within the Alpha and he let out another growl that sent a shiver up Satori’s spine and Satori instinctively laid his throat bare for Wakatoshi to inspect. Their kisses soon turned into soft nips and sighs and moans, and before Satori even realized what he was doing, he had wound one leg tightly around Wakatoshi’s hips in an effort to keep the Alpha pinned against him.

"Beautiful," Wakatoshi snarled against Satori's smooth throat with a gentle nip, drawing out a tiny whimper from the Omega beneath him. This was the confirmation he needed, that he was attracted to Satori in every single way, that he craved to make this Omega his someday.

It was as though time was of no consequence to the pair, and the longer they held onto one another, the more passionate their kisses became. They were so engrossed in one another that they almost didn’t hear the soft call…

“Mama?”

And just like before, Satori once again shoved Wakatoshi away from him, jumping straight up and trying to determine just how he must look to his daughter. “USAGI! What a complete, and unexpected surprise!”

“Is it really that much of a surprise, Satori? I believe the door was left open, so it shouldn’t surprise you that much that Usagi walked in here. Eita could have easily seen what was going on in here as well.”

Satori glanced up at Wakatoshi, grinning at the flushed look still on his cheeks and the mussed-up way his hair now appeared. “Oh yeah?”

Usagi looked from her mother to Wakatoshi, lips turned downward into a pout. She didn’t like the fact that she wasn’t the center of attention right at that moment and flung herself against the side of the bed. She whimpered and reached her arms out, hoping someone, anyone, would pick her up.

“Aw, come here you,” Satori fondly crooned to his cub, picking her up and kissing the top of her head. As happy as he was in that moment, he could never ignore or forget his most precious person.

Wakatoshi smiled fondly at the little girl and Usagi giggled as he pat a hand against the spot that had just been kissed. “And now I must ask you, Usagi,” he waited until both Omega and cub were watching him before he cleared his throat and spoke up again. “Perhaps you won’t understand what I want to ask, but I hope you will grant me permission to court your mother?”

Satori’s head whipped around, mouth hanging slightly open as his mind tried to wrap around what he just heard. “Wha-Wait, Wakatoshi.”

Usagi’s head tilted to one side, staring hard at Wakatoshi for several long moments before she finally reached her arms out to him. “Wawa?” Usagi snuggled against the Alpha once he had her in his grasp, resting her cheek against the crook of his neck. She may not have understood what he was asking of her, but she trusted her Wawa, she loved her Wawa, and she knew her Wawa loved her and her mama.

 

* * *

 

“Are you certain you want to do this, Satori?”

The redhead glanced up at Wakatoshi who was at his side, grinning before squeezing the hand that held his own. “Not at all! But I might as well get it over with, and it’ll be a lot easier with you and Usagi there with me.”

“I am glad to be here to help you in any way I can.” Satori nearly swooned at the sentiment. It was all he could have ever possibly hoped for, could have dreamed of, and now he had Wakatoshi with him in every sense imaginable; and not only for himself, but for Usagi too. Satori led the Alpha down the long hospital corridor before stopping right in front of his mother’s room.

More than likely, his family didn’t expect him to come back after everything that had happened the previous day, well were they in for a shock.

“Hey, Wakkun?” He waited until he had the other’s attention on him before continuing. “Y’think you can stay out here with Usagi while I go talk with them?” He didn’t want Usagi to witness anything her mother might say in the heat of the moment and wanted her safe with the one person he trusted above all others. The cub in question was resting comfortably against Wakatoshi’s side as he held her with ease; Wakatoshi nodded his head in agreement to Tendou’s request.

“I will stay out here with Usagi, if that is what you want.”

It was. Satori turned to the door, taking a deep breath before planting a smile on his face and sliding the door open. “Guess who’s back for more degradation and heartbreak? That’s right! It’s Miracle Boy Satori!”

Heads turned and there was the sound of sloppy clapping behind him. He turned his head just slightly to find Usagi clapping her hands happily, giggling as she watched her mama.

“Satori!” His brothers cried out in unison, wide smiles on their faces.

“I see you came back.” Satori peered around his father and brothers to find his mother staring right at him and he tried not to let his anger get the better of him.

“What can I say, I’m a glutton for punishment,” he shrugged and shuffled across the room, taking the same seat that he had sat in the day before. “Wanted to talk, if that works for you.”

It seemed his family got the hint, all filing out of the room one by one until it was just he and his mother with the door shut. The tension was extremely palpable, and Satori’s mother opened her mouth to speak.

“I’m gonna stop you right there before you can even say anything,” Satori held a hand up. “I’m going to make this short and sweet. We both know it’s pointless to keep drawing this out.” He waited for the short nod of assent before continuing.

“I bet you think you’re a great mom, trying to save your poor Omega son from ending up like your brother. I know some male Omegas can’t handle the pressure of being in an Omega’s body, but you should’ve given me a chance before assuming I’d wind up like him.” Satori shrugged, but didn’t give his mother a chance to reply. “It’s kind of shitty, y’know?”

He almost laughed at the puzzled expression she wore, but opted not to. “You give me this long, elaborate spiel about why you did what you did, why you treated me like I was shit on the bottom of your shoe, and what? You expect me to forgive and let’s all be one big happy family?”

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” his mother murmured.

“You’re damn right it is,” he snapped and shook his head. Honestly, what was in that head of hers to allow her to think like that? “The only reason I came here today was to tell you, that I don’t forgive you. This isn’t a cliché anime trope where the bad guy is suddenly likable after explaining some deep, dark secret from their past and suddenly everyone loves the enemy of the Shounen hero and the hero forgives and forgets everything done to him. This was _my_ life. I grew up thinking it was my fault for the way you treated me, so I’m not forgiving you.”

“Oh,” her voice was a whisper and Satori could see her tremble, fingers clenching the sheets on her bed. “I-I suppose I understand…”

“That’s not to say I won’t forgive you someday, but not today.” He sighed. His mother looked so hopeful in that moment, he almost hated to ruin it for her. “I may not forgive you tomorrow either. It’s gonna take a long time before I’m ready to forgive and move on.”

Again she was nodding in agreement. “I see… And your pup? Will I ever be allowed to meet her properly?”

He knew what she was asking and it took every ounce of strength he had not to snarl and tell her she wasn’t going to be allowed anywhere near his daughter. He had to tell himself that this wasn’t about him, this was about what was best for Usagi.

“We’ll see,” he ground out through gritted teeth. “I’m not about to let you suddenly jump into her life with no warning whatsoever, acting like this loving grandma like you’ve known her her whole life. Especially after how you reacted the first time you saw her.” Damn straight. It had been just he and Usagi from the moment she came out of him, and he wasn’t about to let his mother try to weasel her way in and have any say in how Satori raised her.

“Right,” she appeared subdued, hanging her head and not meeting Satori’s gaze. He didn’t really care how sad she was though, this was the type of thing that would take a lot of time.

They always said that time heals all wounds. Whether or not this was true, it didn’t really matter, so long as he had Usagi and Wakatoshi by his side now, then it didn’t matter how much time it actually took for him to find it in his heart to forgive.

“Well, see ya around,” he hopped to his feet, hands sliding into his pockets as he slid the door open and grinned at seeing Usagi hide her face in Wakatoshi’s neck. His family was already enamored with the little girl as they tried to interact with her, but how could they not already be crazy about her? They’d have to be insane not to see how wonderful she was.

“You two ready to go home?”

Usagi’s head snapped up and the biggest smile stretched out across her face. “Mama!”

Satori snickered and quickly said his goodbyes, promising over and over he wouldn’t be a stranger and he would come back sometime in the future. With that done, Satori slid his hand into Wakatoshi’s larger one, squeezing gently.

Yeah, he was definitely ready to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THERE WE HAVE IT. ACTUAL PROGRESS. Enjoy it while you can cause next chapter is when it's gonna get fun~ 
> 
> I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but meh. I may come back and edit it in the future if I can figure out how to fix stuff. Thank y'all so much for sticking with this fic and all the comments and kudos! You all are so awesome I don't even know where to begin with thanking y'all!
> 
> Find me on tumblr and feel free to chat me up about anything!


	16. Fading Out

Satori couldn’t be happier with how his life was going. In the past few months, Usagi had celebrated her second birthday and she was growing by leaps and bounds, his relationship with his father and brothers was beginning to slowly beginning to heal, he still wasn’t on the best of terms with his ailing mother but Satori could live with that.

But the best part of it all was that Satori and Wakatoshi’s relationship (he still couldn’t get over the fact that yes, he was in fact in a serious relationship with the Alpha he had wanted for so long) was still going strong, and with each passing day the duo grew closer. Usagi adored her Wawa and the Alpha cared so deeply for Satori’s cub in turn; his face would actually hurt from smiling so much when he watched Usagi and Wakatoshi interact with each other. Then there was all the support their friends had given them once they had announced they were officially, finally, courting one another, everyone had seemed so happy, overjoyed even.

As much as Satori loved Wakatoshi, and with all of the positive points in their relationship, there was only one small problem: the fact they had yet to consummate their relationship due to outside factors.

Satori pushed Wakatoshi until the Alpha’s back hit Satori’s closed bedroom door. The redhead’s smile darkened as he leaned forward to nuzzle at Wakatoshi’s throat. He gently kissed and nipped at the flesh there before murmuring under his breath. “C’mon Wakatoshi,” he softly purred. “We both know there’s no telling how long Usagi’ll be down for her nap this time.”

Gold-olive eyes flashed before the wing spiker nodded once. The Alpha crushed their lips together, relishing in the soft whimper that came from Satori and the feel of the Omega’s fingers threading through his hair. He managed to open the door and pulled Satori into the room with him, kicking the door shut before moving toward the bed in the middle of the room. Their kiss never broke until Satori pulled away and jumped backwards onto his bed, grinning before crooking a finger at Wakatoshi in a come hither fashion.

Now sex was something that Wakatoshi had never needed, even as an Alpha; but Satori, well, he had gone almost three years without getting any, and considering how long they had been officially seeing one another…

Satori was getting desperate.

Wakatoshi slowly crawled atop the bed and Satori reached out, yanking the Alpha down on top of him. Their lips slotted against each other’s, arms winding around one another as sharp little mewls escaped the Omega. Satori jerked back only long enough to shuck his shirt off and toss it to some unknown part of his room before pouncing at Wakatoshi once again.

This was it, today would be the day that Satori finally got a piece of the hot ass that was Ushijima Wakatoshi. He couldn’t wait to begin savoring the feel of the Alpha inside him, and maybe if he was lucky, he’d be able to convince Wakatoshi to share his next heat with him once he stopped taking suppressants.

Wakatoshi pulled his own shirt off and Satori audibly hissed at the sight of the Alpha’s body. He knew that Wakatoshi had to stay at peak condition, but dayum… He licked his lips while looking Wakatoshi up and down, dragging his eyes up slowly. Right then, nothing was standing in the way of their coupling other than clothing, but that could be remedied very easily.

Satori’s arms shot out, wrapping around Wakatoshi’s neck before pulling the Alpha closer to him. His tongue poked out to lave against the Alpha’s throat, silently savoring the low growl he received. His Alpha’s scent was one that Satori never tired of, all salt and musk and power. How the hell Wakatoshi could taste like power, he wasn’t sure, but that’s what he tasted like and he was sticking with that.

Wakatoshi gently laid Satori onto his back, grinding his hips against Satori’s and oh, how the redhead loved feeling how hard Wakatoshi was against his own aching arousal… Satori’s feet jerked up, all patience now gone as he tried to tug Wakatoshi’s sweatpants down with his toes. All he needed was just… A little… Bit…

A loud wail made the pair freeze in place and Satori’s head whip to the side, staring hard at the monitor where the sound was coming from. “Damn it,” the Omega whimpered. “So close, we were so close this time.” He felt like crying right then too.

The Alpha silently pulled away from Satori, reaching down to grab his discarded shirt before pulling it back on.

“A-Ah, wait Wakkun!” He reached an arm out, pulling on Wakatoshi in an attempt to seduce him back to his bed. “Maybe she’ll go back to sleep! She does that sometimes y’know,” he gaze turned back to the monitor, heart clenching at the pitiful sound of ‘mama’ that came shortly after.

At hearing his poor cub crying for him, Satori released a dramatic sigh and released Wakatoshi. He flopped back onto the bed in resignation, realizing that he wasn’t going to get any yet again. “Aw, go on and get her. We’ll just have to find a way around Chibi-Usa and her sneaky ways some other time…”

Wakatoshi nodded and quietly exited the room, feet padding toward the toddler’s room down the hall. Satori’s phone began going off at that moment and the redhead reached to the table by his bed, grabbing the device and hitting the accept button with a grin.

“Empty arms hotel, how may I be of service today?” Satori snickered at the spluttering on the other end. “And so good to hear from you too, Semisemi! Between you and Usagi, me and Toshi’ll never get any time to ourselves!”

 _“I did_ not _need to know about what was going on before I called,”_ the other Omega muttered into the phone.

“Y’sure about that? I mean, I know it’s probably nothing compared to the wild sexcapades you and Hayato have gotten into, but-”

 _“Okay! Moving on!”_ Eita screeched into Satori’s ear. _“I did call for a reason, I’ll have you know. And it was most definitely not to interrupt whatever disgusting things you were going to corrupt poor Ushijima with.”_

“Oh?” Well, this should be interesting. Satori glanced over his shoulder, grinning at the sight of his grumpy daughter, clinging to Wakatoshi and grumbling all the while. The Alpha gently deposited the toddler onto the bed and Usagi quickly scrambled to snuggle with her mother. “Well, don’t leave me in suspense, Semisemi. Spill your guts out to Satori!”

He put the phone on speaker, pulling Usagi closer as Wakatoshi made himself comfortable behind Satori, reaching an arm around the Omega while letting his fingers run through Usagi’s sleep-mussed hair.

_“I ran into Shirabu the other day. He’s recently moved back to Miyagi and we decided to get lunch and catch up. Apparently he’s a high school teacher now, and the more we talked, the more we decided that it would be really nice to try and get everyone from the old team together one last time. After all, it won’t be long before everyone is mated or married with kids and then we’ll never see each other again. What do you think?”_

Huh, what _did_ Satori think? He swallowed hard, chancing a look behind him to see Wakatoshi silent and stoic as per the norm.

“I have no qualms about seeing everyone again. I think it would be good to catch up and see how everyone is doing. I don’t pay much attention to social media, so I’m not sure where everyone has gone now.”

 _“Oh, is that Ushijima? Great, two birds with one stone, am I right?”_ Eita laughed and Satori knew he should be laughing too, but for some reason couldn’t force anything to come out right then. _“Satori, you haven’t said what you think about dinner?”_

He forced the lump in his throat down. “Y-Yeah! That sounds great to me!” He forced a strangled laugh out, not wanting to alarm either Eita or Wakatoshi since they both seemed excited, or in Wakatoshi’s case, slightly curious.

 _“Great! It doesn’t look like many of us will be able to make it, but even if it’s just a few of us, it’ll be nice to have one last hurrah.”_ There was a grumble on Semi’s end of the line. _“At least before I’m thrust into motherhood here soon. Anyway, I’ll text you more details once everyone decides on where to meet up.”_

Satori chuckled and ended the call, trying to ignore the fear that threatened to creep into his very being. He was obviously overthinking things, nothing major would happen, it would be great! This was the perfect opportunity to see everyone and flaunt his new relationship status in front of his former teammates.

Yeah, he just had to keep telling himself that and maybe there would actually be truth to those thoughts.

 

* * *

 

Satori had no idea what he had been so worried about, this dinner was going great so far! Wakatoshi and Satori had been among the first to arrive, just after Hayato and Eita. Their Alpha friend jumped up from his seat and threw his arms around his old friends, unable to contain his excitement. It was a slight struggle for Eita to get out of his chair, appearing ready to deliver any day.

“Woah, Eita!” Satori pointed a finger at Eita’s very big belly. “Quick, someone call JAXA! A planet is obviously missing and Eita must’ve been the one to swallow it!”

Eita immediately wailed, punching his husband’s shoulder hard. “H-Hayato, you lied! You said I didn’t look like a b-beached whale!” Satori tried his hardest not to laugh, but seeing the way Hayato tried to console his hormonal mate was priceless.

“But Eita, you’re beautiful! You’re no whale! You’re carrying my pup, and that's the most beautiful thing ever!”

“Save it, liar,” Eita gave a halfhearted snap before huffing and slumping back into his chair, pretending as though the soft kisses his mate pressed against his head wasn’t making him feel better.

They all sat down, explaining that Usagi had been left with the Sawamura’s since Satori had surprisingly agreed to let the little girl spend her first night away from home. Daichi and Suga had finally decided on a surrogate and would begin the process of starting their own family within the next few weeks, and Suga had declared that they needed all the experience they could get when dealing with a young child.

It was after this explanation that Shirabu arrived, quietly greeting everyone and taking a seat at the table. He admitted that yes, he had moved back to Miyagi from Kyoto and was now teaching high school at Datekou.

“But tell them about the guy that’s been trying to court you,” Eita snickered behind his hand, absolutely not enjoying the way Shirabu’s face turned fifty different shades of red while he chugged down a glass of water.

“Oh?” Satori’s Cheshire-like grin split his face. “Does Shirabooboo have a potential mate, wink wonk?” He nudged the Omega and laughed at the death glare he received.

“No offense, but fuck off, senpai.” Kenjirou hissed and huffed, refusing to look any of his former senpai in the eye.

Jin was next to arrive with his wife in tow. He introduced the pretty little Beta and the pair quickly sat down and joined in on the conversation with no problem whatsoever. They had no children yet, but were hoping to work on that in the near future.

Goshiki came traipsing in, gasping loudly enough that he drew the attention of most everyone in the small restaurant. “SENPAIS! It’s so good to see everyone!”

“But Tsutomu, I saw you just the other day at practice, so how is it a surprise to see Satori and myself?” Wakatoshi had a point, Goshiki had been scouted by the national team a year or so earlier, and he was set to be a force to be reckoned with during the next Olympics.

Satori cackled madly, pulling out a chair for the overly eager kouhai. As far as he knew from what Eita had told him, this would be it for the ones coming to this little reunion, so Satori allowed himself to relax. And for a while, it seemed like Satori had nothing to worry about, he enjoyed reminiscing on the good old days back at Shiratorizawa, the highs, the lows, the pranks pulled during training camps, it was all just so good.

“Hey everyone!”

And then it wasn’t.

Satori stiffened in his seat, turning his head around to see Reon and Kawanishi both standing feet away from their table, a pretty girl by Reon’s side waving at the group.

“I didn’t think you two were going to be able to come!” Eita slowly got out of his chair, waddling over to the pair and hugging them both tightly. “Come on, sit down with the rest of us!”

He could do this, he could make it through the rest of dinner and then he and Wakatoshi could go. No problem, simple really.

Reon motioned to the girl with him. “Everyone, this is my fiancée, Misaki Hana.” The girl gave a warm smile and waved in response to the excited greetings she received, telling everyone she was so happy to finally meet the famous Shiratorizawa team she remembered from so long ago.

“Still single, Taichi?” Hayato grinned and slugged the other, getting a snort in response.

“Why are you so surprised by that? Gonna take someone pretty special to tie me down for life,” he mumbled quietly.

“So good to see you both!” Goshiki jumped up from his chair and Shirabu groaned, muttering something under his breath.

“Satori, long time no see,” Reon smiled at his onetime friend and Satori immediately snapped back to his senses.

“Yeah, I know! It’s so tragic really, I figured you must have gotten amnesia because how could anyone forget to stay in contact with the great Satori?” He grinned, propping his chin up with both elbows on the table now, batting his eyes prettily.

Reon chuckled and shook his head, slipping an arm around Hana. “So what’ve you been up to the past couple of years? I don’t think I’ve seen you since… Gosh, it must have been the party we threw for Wakatoshi way back then. How’s the national team treating you, by the way?” His attention was turned to Wakatoshi now, giving Satori some relief now that the conversation was turned elsewhere.

“It has been quite the experience, but I always enjoy the challenge.” Wakatoshi ended the Wakatoshi-like statement with a nod before taking a swallow of his sake. “It has been even better, now that Satori and I are currently courting.”

That drew the stares of almost everyone at their table.

“No way!”

“Finally,” Shirabu murmured with a soft smile.

“Congratulations!”

Satori preened under all the praise, he couldn’t help it. To know that Wakatoshi was so happy to be with him, he couldn’t ask for more than that.

“Hey that’s great,” Reon’s smile widened, obviously very happy for his friends. “And then maybe it won’t be long before we hear about wedding bells and pregnancy announcements from you two.”

The redhead visibly winced at that last part to Reon’s statement, trying to divert the conversation into another direction. “A-Ah, well that’s… Noooo, why would we ever-”

“Satori and I haven’t officially claimed one another, but if all continues to go well, then perhaps we will be bonded eventually. And if Satori wanted to have more children, I would not be opposed to that, but the decision is entirely up to him.”

Oh damn. Satori could have fucking swooned if he weren’t a more composed Omega, and if they weren’t in a packed restaurant, he would have shoved Wakatoshi against the table and had him take him right then and there.

“Wait, _more_ children?”

Ah shit.

Wakatoshi nodded his head, pulling his phone from his pocket and Satori could feel his hopes shrivel up as he handed the phone to Reon to inspect his lock screen picture. “Satori has a daughter fathered by an Alpha that has not been around since the night of conception, which was at the party to celebrate my joining the national team, according to Satori. I think no different of Usagi and already think of her as though she were my own cub.”

Hana cooed, eyes bright as she studied the picture on the phone. “Aw, look how adorable she is! She looks just like her mama, doesn’t she?” She pulled the phone from Reon’s grip and showed the picture to the others around the table, not noticing the way her fiancé stared at Satori hard.

“She doesn’t look very old.” A question directed to Satori, and he and Satori both knew this all-too well.

Satori tried to clear his throat, and damn his throat was so dry… “Y-Y’see, Usagi’s-”

“She just had her second birthday not very long ago.” Wakatoshi interjected, reaching a hand under the table to gently grasp Satori’s, offering his Omega a slow smile. It was not out of trying to comfort Satori, but rather a rare affectionate gesture.

Satori could see the pride and warmth in the Alpha’s stare, and if he wasn’t careful he could easily get lost in Wakatoshi’s warm eyes. He felt himself calming down somewhat, but not completely just yet.

“Satori,” Reon slowly began as he tried to get the other’s attention, as serious as he could be. “I think we need to talk…”

“Would you look at the time?” Satori shot up out of his chair, forcing a yawn before tugging on Wakatosi’s hand. “Well, it’s been great seeing everyone! But we gotta get going, so see you around in another twenty years or so!”

He tried to go, tried to make his grand escape, but felt a hard grasp on his shoulder, preventing him from moving at all.

“Satori, I think we really need to talk about what happened.”

“Ahahahaha, I dunno what you’re talking about, but I don’t think there’s anything at all to discuss!” He had to get out of there. He could feel the walls closing in on him, needing to find escape before it was all too late.

Wakatoshi watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, displeased with how another Alpha was far too close to what was _his_. “Oohira,” Wakatoshi’s voice was dangerously low as he gently pushed the other Alpha off Satori. “I’m not sure what issue you have with Satori, but I believe Satori and I would both appreciate it if you weren’t standing so close to him. He’s obviously uncomfortable and I cannot stand by and do nothing.”

It was an obvious challenge, to tell the other Alpha to back away from an Omega that an Alpha had his sights set on. This was dangerous, too many Alphas in one area with their pheromones, it could get messy fast.

“Reon,” Hana tried to softly call for her mate to return to her. “Please, let’s all just sit down and talk if you really think there’s something that needs to be discussed.”

“Really, there’s nothing at all that should be discussed!” Satori’s tone was pleading as he tried with all his might to pull Wakatoshi away.

“No,” Reon snapped, so unlike his usual easygoing behavior as he stared hard at the redhead. “Satori, you and I both know what happened at that party that night, and if there’s any chance that your daughter is mine, then I deserve to know. Don’t you think so too?”

All conversation at their table ended right as Reon made his declaration.

Reon snarled, getting right in Wakatoshi’s face before pointing to Satori. “I slept with Satori at the party we had for you, so there’s at least a small chance that that cub is mine.”

That right there was what Satori had feared all along. The thought that some Alpha would come along and try to take his pup away once they found out she was theirs… Satori couldn’t handle it.

Satori buried his face in his hands, shaking like a leaf. No, how could this be happening now? Everything had been going so perfectly, and now his paradise was over. It was all out now, it was all over, everyone knew… He could feel everyone looking at him, was it with pity? Disgust? Damn it, he just wanted to get out of there, every sense inside him was telling him to get away from these Alphas, to find Usagi!

A soft sigh came from the table and Taichi got up, trying to diffuse the tension by getting between his fellow Alphas and separating them. “Come on, do you really think you fathered that kid, Oohira? I mean, if that were the case, then I’d have just as much chance of being the father. I slept with Satori at that party too, so if that party was the _only_ night that Satori could have gotten knocked up, then there’s just as much of a possibility that I could be the one that impregnated him.” Taichi turned his attention to Satori next, waiting for the Omega to put an end to the dispute. “Come on, Tendou. Just tell everyone you didn’t get pregnant at the party and this whole thing will be settled.”

“I… I,” He looked around helplessly, having no idea what to do or say right then and there. Satori’s gaze turned to Wakatoshi, who now seemed so far away and out of Satori’s reach. “I don’t…” Satori had always prided himself in being someone who always had a snappy comeback, but in that moment he couldn’t find the words to say, only managed a small whimper. Eita got up as quickly as he could and tugged his friend to him, letting Satori bury his face against Eita’s neck.  

Taichi paled as the realization hit him that Satori wasn’t refuting what was out there. “Oh, fuck.”

Shirabu sighed and motioned for the waiter to come to their table. “I think we’re going to need several bottles of the strongest liquor you’ve got here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN! What do y'all think is gonna happen next? Heck, I may not even know what'll happen! ...okay I lied I totally know what's going to happen next. You guys might want to invest in tissues for the next few chapters... 
> 
> Come talk to me on tumblr if you want and we can cry about Tendou and Shiratorizawa!


	17. Telling Me That Everything is Fine

Wakatoshi sat in silence next to Satori, who kept fidgeting in his chair. The previous evening had left Satori in such a distressed state, that Wakatoshi had immediately taken Satori back to Hayato and Eita’s home in order to let the Omega have some space to himself and sort out everything that had happened. Satori had clung to him, whimpering and begging Wakatoshi not to leave him, but such a thought had never occurred to the Alpha. He couldn’t leave Satori, not now, not ever.

Satori received a text from Reon later that night, requesting that he come meet both he and Kawanishi for lunch, which Satori surprisingly agreed to.

“Guess I’ll have to start explaining things, but I really dun wanna,” he had weakly laughed before curling up against Wakatoshi and immediately falling asleep in the Alpha’s embrace.

Now, the pair watched Reon, his fiancée and Taichi across the table in silence; everyone was quiet and hadn’t said a single word in the several minutes they had been sitting. Once the drinks arrived, Hana cleared her throat.

“Last night was quite a shock for all of us; I think we can agree on that much.” Everyone murmured their assent and she continued. “Reon and I spent most of last night talking about what this could possibly mean, and Tendou-san,” she waited until the redhead was focusing all of his attention on her. “Should it turn out that Reon did sire your child, I want you to know that we both want to have her in our lives.”

Satori stiffened and Wakatoshi could tell immediately that he was inwardly panicking. Wakatoshi reached under the table, placing a hand atop Satori’s own shaking ones. His fingers curled around Satori’s hands and he slowly felt the Omega’s pulse slow down and watched Satori relax somewhat, a positive sign.

Satori managed to force a smile to his face, but Wakatoshi could tell he was still on edge. “Ah, you guys don’t have to worry about that! I’ve been taking care of Usagi just fine on my own, so there’s really no need to come around at all!”

Reon and Hana exchanged a glance and Reon let out a heavy sigh before speaking. “I know I behaved like an ass last night, so I’m really sorry for that first off.” He waited for Hana’s approving nod before speaking again. “And I know you must have had your reasons for not letting either Taichi or myself know that you had gotten pregnant,” Satori wilted slightly but if Reon noticed, he didn’t let that stop him. “I don’t know about Taichi, but if it turns out that your daughter is mine, then I’d like the chance to get to know her.”

Wakatoshi watched out of the corner of his eye as Satori’s spine straightened up. This was the one fear that the Omega had had, and it seemed from his false smile that he wasn’t about to agree to just anything.

“Like I said,” Satori licked his lips. “It’s really nothing for you all to get involved in. I’m raising Usagi now and have been since the moment I decided I was keeping her.” Every instinct inside him was telling him to do everything in his power to keep these Alphas away from his cub, they didn’t deserve to be near Usagi, to get to know her and then possibly leave her, even if they were her potential sires!

A loud sigh came from one end of the table and Taichi reached an arm up to rub at the back of his neck. “Look, I’ll be honest… I really don’t have any desire to be a dad to anyone’s kid, even if it’s my own.”

Wakatoshi could see the relief in Satori’s eyes even as Reon gave a disapproving glower.

“You can’t be serious! That’s possibly your daughter, and you’re saying you don’t want anything to do with her?”

“So would it be better for Tendou’s kid to have an absent sire and resent me for the rest of her life when I’m obviously not ready to settle down? No thanks,” Taichi snapped back, teeth bared to show he wasn’t about to back down from a challenge. “I’m just being honest, parenthood just isn’t for me and I hope you don’t hate me for saying it.” He cast an apologetic glance to Satori before lowering his gaze to his lap.

“N-No, it’s actually kind of a relief.” All heads shot up to stare at Satori who was offering a wide smile to his friends. “I’ll admit, I’m selfish when it comes to my Chibi-Usa,” his features softened as he thought about his daughter. “She’s everything to me, and I wouldn’t ever wanna break her heart for any reason.”

Taichi let out a shuddering breath, reaching a hand across the table to lay atop Satori’s. “I really appreciate you understanding,” he murmured. “And I’ll take a paternity test or whatever if it’ll give you peace of mind, but I just can’t-”

Wakatoshi swiftly shoved Taichi’s hand away from Satori’s, low growls coming from the Alpha to show that he didn’t appreciate any other Alpha attention directed to _his_ Omega. “If,” Wakatoshi ground the word out. “If it is determined that you indeed did sire Usagi,” and how those words felt so bitter on his tongue. “And you insist on having nothing to do with her, it would be best to have some form of written agreement indicating that you would never interfere with her life or upbringing in any way.”

Satori’s head slowly swiveled around, eyes comically wide as he stared up at the Alpha with his mouth slightly agape.

_Oh._ Well, this was definitely new, but not unwanted… No, not at all unwanted. It almost sent a shiver down his spine to see Wakatoshi so protective of Usagi.

“That may be, but just because Taichi doesn’t want to have any kind of custody rights, doesn’t mean that I feel the same should I turn out to be the one who sired your daughter. I think it’s my right to have the opportunity to see her once we have a paternity test done.”

Satori’s entire world crumbled the moment he heard those words. He felt sick at the thought of having to share custody. What if he _was_ Usagi’s sire? What if she preferred him over Satori? What if he decided that Satori was an unfit parent and wanted to take her away from him? The more scenarios his mind conjured up, the more he realized he couldn’t handle it. “I-I don’t…” His mouth felt dry and the words he wanted to say so badly refused to come out.

“You’re overstepping your bounds,” Wakatoshi, the one who was usually the calm, collected Alpha, actually snarled at Reon. “You have _no_ rights; it’s all dependent on what Satori decides. He has been Usagi’s primary caregiver for her whole life, and therefore has the legal authority to say whether or not he wants you to be anywhere near Usagi.”  

It seemed the other Alpha wasn’t about to take that lying down. “That doesn’t mean-” His words were interrupted by the firm grip of his fiancée on his arm.

“Reon,” Hana hissed, eyes narrowed to slits as she hissed at her mate. “Calm down. You and Ushijima-san with all your pheromones are obviously upsetting Tendou-san.”

Wakatoshi was immediately aware of how Satori was shaking in his seat, trying his hardest to appear his usually cheery self, but failing miserably. His arm quickly wound around the Omega’s shoulders, crooning softly into his ear in an attempt to put his nerves at ease. It appeared to help some with Satori’s head lolling over to rest against Wakatoshi’s cheek.

“Ready to go, Toshi,” he managed to get out, and Wakatoshi nodded once before helping Satori to his feet, allowing the redhead to steady himself against the Alpha.

“Wait,” Hana stood halfway out of her chair with her arm outstretched. “Will we hear from you, should you decide to do a paternity test?”

Taichi sighed and shrugged, obvious displeasure across his face. “I don’t really care either way. If you want it done, I’ll do it.”

Satori’s head jerked in a nod before he once again buried his face against Wakatoshi. It was the Alpha who spoke up, interpreting just what Satori had meant. “He will contact you once he decides just what to do.” With a final nod to the group, Wakatoshi quickly led Satori away.

It wasn’t until the pair returned to Eita and Hayato’s home that Satori allowed himself to cry. Eita and his mate were out at a doctor’s appointment and wouldn’t be back until later that evening, so Satori felt safe enough to let everything out in front of Wakatoshi once they were in the guest room they had been staying in.

“I-I can’t,” he sobbed, face buried in his hands. “Sh-She’s mine!” It was selfish, he knew this, but Usagi was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. He just couldn’t lose her to anyone, not even her own biological sire.

Wakatoshi’s hand continued to rub circles against his back, allowing the Omega to curl up against him in an almost fetal position on the bed. “I know,” he gently kissed the top of Satori’s head. “You know that you do not have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“I j-just love her so much,” he blubbered, thoughts barely coherent, just one long string of words. “My babyyyyyy!” Sobs wracked his body and Wakatoshi did his best to comfort the Omega, but it seemed to do no good. Satori was inconsolable and was completely terrified at the prospect of losing Usagi.

“Satori,” Wakatoshi’s voice was firm, yet gentle and the Omega managed to quieten his cries, sniffling with his face buried against Wakatoshi’s shirt. “The final decision is ultimately up to you. By law, Usagi is your child, and since neither Reon or Taichi have been with you since the night of conception, they have no rights whatsoever to Usagi.”

Satori was silent for several long moments before sniffling and nodding once. “I know,” he mumbled.

“You do not even have to respond to their requests for a paternity test if you do not wish to do so,” again Satori stayed eerily silent before nodding his head. “This is all about Usagi’s life, and what would benefit her the most. But you must also remember to take care of yourself as well, Satori.”

His fingers strayed to Satori’s scalp and Wakatoshi smiled at the soft purrs he received while massaging the Omega’s head. He was glad to finally see Satori calm down, and perhaps he was able to make a decision now about what to do with the situation presented to him. Wakatoshi couldn’t help but worry about what Satori would ultimately decide: would he keep the Alphas away from Usagi, or would he give in to a paternity test, therefore determining who had sired Usagi once and for all?

While Wakatoshi mulled these thoughts in his mind, Satori began to fidget in the Alpha’s embrace, slowly pulling back and sniffling again. His eyes were red and his smile wobbly, but he still gave a warm smile to Wakatoshi.

“Thanks, Wakkun,” he chuckled, refusing to look the Alpha in the eye once he had his full attention. “I dunno what I’d have done without you. You’re always lookin’ out for me, taking care of me. And not just me,” Satori brightened considerably, leaning closer until his face was inches from Wakatoshi’s. “You’re so awesome to my cub, you’ve always been more like…” He bit his lower lip, flicking his gaze up to meet amber eyes staring at him intently. “Almost like you’re her sire. Hell, you were the one who was there when she came out! And man,” Satori chuckled. “Do I wish you had been the one that got me pregnant. You’re seriously the best dad ever, Wakatoshi.”

His heart thumped loudly at that. “Satori, I-”

A finger pressed against the spiker’s lips. “Shh, lemme finish first.” Satori leaned in and before anything else was said, pressed his lips against Wakatoshi’s. He pulled back to whisper. “You’re seriously the best, and that’s why I… I don’t wanna lose you, no matter what I decide. I want you to always be there for Usagi, and me.”

“But Satori, I had no intention of ever…” The words trailed off as Wakatoshi’s eyes followed Satori’s every movement. Satori quickly pulled his shirt off and tossed it over the side of the bed, his fingers gently tugging at Wakatoshi’s shirt as well. The Alpha quickly complied and allowed Satori to lean forward, nuzzling at the scent gland between the juncture of his throat and shoulder. Wakatoshi shivered, allowing his hands to move and trail along Satori’s spine.

Satori whimpered and pulled back, giving Wakatoshi a hooded gaze before slowly reclining onto his back. “Wakatoshi,” each syllable was slowly drawn out and he reached his arms toward said Alpha.

What could the Alpha do except oblige his Omega?

“Satori,” his voice came out as a guttural moan. Wakatoshi stared down at Satori, red-faced and quickly panting for breath. He wanted Satori, wanted to mark him and claim him so that everyone knew that this Omega was his. Leaning down, he gently nipped at Satori’s scent gland, growling at the high-pitched whine the Omega gave.

Reaching shaking hands up, Satori gently cupped Wakatoshi’s face and drug his face down to nip at his lips, hips snapping up to press against the Alpha’s.

“Mine,” Wakatoshi snarled through grit teeth, heart skipping a beat at the tiny nod Satori gave in agreement.

“Mm, been waiting a long time to hear you say that, Toshi…”

 

* * *

 

It was hours later, once Eita and Hayato returned home, that they found the pair fast asleep under the sheets. The pregnant Omega smiled warmly at the way Wakatoshi curled around Satori and the scent of sex that still clung to the air. Apparently the two had decided to make good use of their time. Just for that, Eita wouldn't scream at the two once they decided to get out of bed. 

“Should we wake them up,” was Hayato’s whispered question, to which Eita shook his head.

“Let’s let them have this time alone,” he murmured before gently closing the door, allowing Hayato to lead him away.

The Alpha snorted, his hand on the small of his mate’s back. “All I’ve gotta say is, it’s about damn time.” He quickly received a gentle swat to his head in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the theme song for this chapter should be At Last by Etta James. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> And just to let everyone know, I'm not an expert in Japanese custody by any means, but from what I've looked up, it seems that if the parents aren't married when a child is born out of wedlock, then the father has no rights whatsoever. So I just decided to use that and apply it to this ABO universe. 
> 
> I really hope this chapter was alright, I've been sooooo stressed with work and wedding planning and whatnot. Thanks as always to my amazing and lovely followers! MWAH! Look forward to next week's thrilling chapter! 
> 
> Come chat me up on tumblr if ya want!


	18. Giving Up

A loud piercing shriek echoed throughout the intensive care ward. “I can’t believe you and Ushijima finally did the do and you didn’t even bother to tell me!”

Satori pulled his hands away from his ears before he snickered as Suga. “Must’ve slipped my mind somehow, my bad. I’ll make sure to let you know each and every dirty thing we do from now on.”

Suga’s cheeks puffed out and he pouted with arms crossed. “You’ve got that right! As much time and energy as I’ve put into you two…”

A disgruntled sigh came from behind the pair and both Omega and Beta turned to find Iwaizumi standing behind them, hands jammed into his coat pockets. “I swear… Can’t we discuss the more important matter?”

A slow grin settled across Satori’s face and he leered at Iwaizumi. “Aww, but don’tcha wanna find out just how big Toshi’s knot is?”

Koushi’s lips turned up into a slow smile. “And how big exactly is it?”

The redhead sighed happily as his features took on a wistful look. “I thought it was going to tear me in half, I swear it’s as big as a volleyball…”

“Ooh! Aren’t you the lucky Omega?”

Satori’s grin got wider, if that was even possible. “And he did this thing where-”

“Alright! I think that’s enough of that!” Iwaizumi hastily interrupted the now laughing pair before clearing his throat. “Are you really going to just glaze over the fact that Tendou has to figure out if he’s going to go through with a paternity test? What are you thinking?” He frowned before turning his full attention to Satori. “Are you really going to put yourself and Usagi through something like that?”

“Hey! Don’t stress him out!” Koushi’s lips turned downward, quickly defending his friend. “He’s just had something really great happen to him and-”

“And he still can’t forget that his daughter has a biological sire out there, one that may potentially want to be part of her life.”

Satori winced at the reminder. He hated to be prompted about the choices that he had to make, because if he was being truthful, he didn’t want to share Usagi with either Reon or Taichi. At least Taichi seemed willing to give up on any kind of relationship with her, but Reon was a different story…

“Look,” Iwaizumi’s voice interrupted his thoughts and Satori glanced at the Alpha. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do,” he sighed. “I just think you should weigh all your options.” Iwaizumi was a nice guy, and he sounded genuine in what he was saying.

“What, and you think he hasn’t?” Suga snorted, rolling his eyes as though what Iwaizumi had said was ridiculous. “Usagi’s barely out of the pup stage, she doesn’t know what a sire even means at this point.”

“No, but she will someday,” Satori managed to muster up enough voice to speak up. He grinned weakly. “Wakkun and I’ve been talking, a lot about what to do.” Suga leaned in, eyes wide as he studied Tendou’s face, and even Iwaizumi seemed to be interested in what he had to say as well. “And he says he’ll support me in whatever choice I end up making.”

He was terrified at the prospect of finally finding out just which of his friends had gotten him pregnant, but he knew he couldn’t continue to be selfish when it came to what was best for Usagi.

“I don’t want Usagi to ever grow up resenting me for keeping her from what she could’ve had.” Satori eased himself down onto a chair before leaning back, staring hard at the hospital’s pristine white ceilings. “Wakatoshi loves her like she’s his own, and we may wind up bonding and being our own family someday; but I know Usagi may not think that’s enough when she’s older. She may wanna find that biological bond with the Alpha that fathered her, and I wouldn’t blame her for wanting that.”

“Are you sure?” Was the quiet response that Koushi had after several long moments of silence, giving a small smile to the redhead.

That seemed to be the question everyone kept asking him. It was the question he had asked himself when he decided he was keeping Usagi, as well as when he had decided to pursue a potential relationship with Sakusa, but now, this seemed to be the biggest decision he was going to make. This decision not only affected Satori, but ultimately this was going to affect Usagi the most. For better or not, he wasn’t sure what the outcome would be, but he couldn’t not give his daughter the chance to know more about that other half of her.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “I think so.” 

And he meant it.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that week, he contacted both Reon and Taichi, asking them to come to Tokyo to take a paternity test, a request to which both Alphas quickly agreed to.

Wakatoshi told Satori that he would be there the day that the test was performed, that he wanted to make sure both he and Usagi were alright, something that Satori was secretly grateful for. It was a comforting thought to have his Alpha by his side during a time like that.

It was finally a week later that Satori watched his daughter with all the pride and love in the world as Usagi babbled and spoke about random things to Wakatoshi, the Alpha nodding sagely as though everything she was saying made complete sense. He snickered, watching Usagi lead her Wawa by the hand to one end of the long hospital hall. She was in the process of explaining just what happened at a hospital, that people with booboos came there to get band aids and that it magically made them feel all better. But the hospital was also full of doctors, and doctors liked to give shots, so Usagi explained to the Alpha that didn’t care much for the shots…

“Wawa!” She pointed a finger to her mother. “Dat Mama! Mama wook now,” the little girl was as serious as a two-year-old could be as she explained to Wakatoshi that her mother was working. “Mama make dem fee’ all bettah!” And there was the explanation of what Satori’s job was.

Satori had asked both Reon and Taichi to meet him at the hospital he worked at so that they could easily have a physician he trusted take the cheek swab to test their DNA against Usagi’s. Both Alphas agreed, and now he and Wakatoshi waited with the precocious cub for the two to arrive so they could get it all over with.

“Yes, I see that your mother is hard at work.” Satori laughed again, shaking his head before turning his attention back to the paperwork that needed his attention. “He’s very good at what he does. He is a very talented nurse.”

Satori felt his heart swell at the compliment and tried to duck his head behind the desk, trying to hide the blush that covered his face. Ah damn, that Wakatoshi was one smooth operator…

“And who do we have here?”

Satori’s head snapped up at the all-too familiar voice of Iwaizumi, now kneeling in front of Usagi and grinning. “I haven’t seen you around here in a while. Have you been being a good girl for your mama, Usagi-chan?”

Usagi shyly smiled, hiding her face against Wakatoshi’s leg before nodding her head slowly. Iwaizumi chuckled before reaching into his pocket, pulling a lollipop out.

“You know, Takato always talks about you,” he grinned as Usagi yanked her head away from Wakatoshi’s leg, eyes wide and a big smile on her face.

“Taka,” she squealed her friend’s name before her eyes darted to the lollipop in Iwaizumi’s grasp.

Iwaizumi chuckled, nodding and offering the candy to the cub. “Yeah, Takato tells me and his mom all the time about the fun you two have at Mika-san’s house.”

Usagi glanced up at Wakatoshi, waiting for the nod of approval before she reached out and gingerly took the sucker from Iwaizumi. She giggled and tore the wrapper off before sticking the candy in her mouth, her hand once more reaching for Wakatoshi’s hand to take into her own.

Iwaizumi slowly got back to his feet, catching Satori’s gaze before motioning to Usagi with a nod. “Will she be okay with the swab?”

To be fair, it was a legitimate question. After all, the last time Usagi had been in an exam room for her yearly checkup just a few months earlier; she had had to have a shot and the experience appeared to have terrified her.

“No sots, Mama,” Usagi had bawled after the visit was over. “No mo’!” The sounds of his little one in pain broke his heart. He knew that it was all for Usagi’s benefit, but the one sound that absolutely tore him apart was the sound of his daughter’s crying.

Satori was jerked back to reality, nodding once before glancing at Usagi who was once again talking rapidly. “She should be fine with just a cheek swab. Can we make sure I’m with her at all times though? I don’t want her to freak out on you or anything.”

Iwaizumi nodded and hummed his assent. “Of course, we don’t want Usagi to feel uncomfortable with any part of the procedure, no matter how little time it takes.”

“Hey, Tendou!”

Both Satori and Wakatoshi turned their attention to the pair making their way down the hall to the nurse’s station. Wakatoshi growled lowly, his instincts telling him to hide the little girl from the view of other Alphas, from those who would try and take this cub away.

Satori slapped a forced smile to his face and waved. “Hey! Glad you could finally make it,” he stepped out from the desk he was sitting at, kneeling at Wakatoshi’s side before gently pulling Usagi out and into his arms. “This is Usagi, my pride and joy.”

Usagi beamed up at her mother, throwing her arms around Satori’s neck. Satori kissed the top of her head, whispering into his cub’s ear. “Chibi-Usa, this is Reon and Taichi. They’re old friends of Mama and Wawa. Can you say hi to them?”

Gold eyes blinked owlishly before the cub turned her attention to the new Alphas, giving a tiny wave but still not smiling at the duo.

“Wow,” Taichi murmured, leaning down to get a closer look at the cub that quickly hid her face in her mother’s neck. “She looks just like you, doesn’t she?”

Wakatoshi’s eyes narrowed and he quickly stepped in between his Omega and Taichi. “Please do not make Satori or Usagi uncomfortable,” his voice was calm, but the pheromones he was emitting weren’t. It was perfectly clear that he was telling Reon and Taichi to back off, and the two silently complied.

“Let’s get this over with,” Satori sighed and carried Usagi into an exam room, gently stroking her hair as Iwaizumi gently swabbed the q tip against the inside of her cheek. Satori praised Usagi for being such a good girl and Usagi preened at her mother’s words. Reon and Taichi’s swabs were simple as well, and Satori promised the duo that they could all read the results together.

With that, it was all over and both Alphas went about their merry ways until it was time to find out the results of the paternity test. Satori felt like he was waiting an eternity, but finally after a three weeks, he got a call from the hospital that the results were in and that they had been mailed to both Alphas.

 

* * *

 

 

Satori felt like he was going to be sick.

He kept reminding himself that this was all for Usagi, but as he and his daughter and Wakatoshi made the trip to Miyagi, the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach just wouldn’t go away. Wakatoshi kept trying to silently reassure him that everything would be alright, with gentle kisses and squeezes to his hand. Satori was eternally grateful for having an Alpha like Wakatoshi in his life, but nothing was easing the fears lodged so deeply in his mind.

“Are you alright?”

Their group was seated on a park bench, Usagi was pushed on the swings by Wakatoshi and Satori had been quietly watching them. Satori smiled at Eita, who appeared to be more than just a little concerned for his friend.

“Just fine,” he chirped. “But you’re looking a little worse for wear.” He grinned, gently thumping his hand against Eita’s belly. “Is that kid coming out or has it just decided to take up permanent residence inside you?”

“Shut up,” Eita growled, shoving Satori’s hand away and rubbing circles on his very swollen belly. “I know you’re just trying to distract yourself, but you’re not backing out of this so easily.”

“Gah, Eita-kun’s so scary,” Satori scooted away before leaning his head close to Eita’s stomach. “If I were you, I’d just stay there as long as you can. Your mom’s pretty terrifying when he wants to be,” he whispered before snickering.

Eita wasn’t wrong, he was pretty scared. Today was the day they would all find out who had sired Usagi, and Satori should be happy to finally have closure… And yet, he wasn’t.

“Ah, looks like they’re finally here,” Satori had to force himself to look up, finding Reon and his fiancée with Taichi trailing behind. Both Alphas had large manila envelopes in their hands and Satori felt his heart beat so hard he thought it would jump right out of his chest.

Hana smiled, waving at the Omegas on the bench while tugging Reon forward. “Sorry we’re so late! But we’re here now, ready and anxious to finally see what the results are.” She seemed to be excited, regardless of what the outcome would be, while Taichi shrugged and appeared nonchalant about the entire process.

“Let’s hurry up and find out what really happened once and for all,” Taichi mumbled under his breath. Reon nodded in agreement, showing Satori his envelope.

“I can go first.”

“Sure,” Satori was find with whatever order they wanted to find out the results in.

By this point, Wakatoshi had carried Usagi over to the group and it was clear he was less than happy about the entire ordeal. Satori hated putting his Alpha through this, but Usagi came first and she always would. Wakatoshi understood that, but it didn’t mean that he had to be pleased with it.

Reon took a deep breath before pulling the flap off the top of the envelope. The paper with his results was pulled out and his eyes scanned the words at the bottom of the page before smiling weakly, showing the paper to Hana. “It says I’m not the one who sired Usagi.”

All eyes suddenly turned to Taichi, who appeared completely surprised by this piece of news. He swallowed hard before giving a strangled chuckle. “Guess that means it’s gotta be me, right?”

Satori couldn’t find the words to speak with. He should be glad that they were finding out just who it was that had been the one to impregnate him, that Usagi would know her biological sire, but he just…

Taichi didn’t wait for an answer, instead opened his envelope and pulled the paper that was inside out. “And it looks like…” He frowned, fingers gripping the paper in his hand before he looked up at Reon. “Hey, are you sure yours says that you didn’t sire Tendou’s kid?”

Satori felt his head cock to one side at the question. Wait…

Reon nodded and offered Taichi his test results. “See for yourself. It says there’s no chance that I could have possibly sired Tendou’s daughter.”

Taichi let out a shaky breath before extending his arm and showing his paper to everyone there. “Well, that’s what this says too, that I couldn’t be the father either.”

“Wh-What?” Satori couldn’t move, had to force himself to breathe as he stared at both Reon and Taichi, with test results saying that neither of them were the ones to have sired Usagi. They had to be lying… But when he glanced at the papers, he saw that there was no way they were misreading what was there. In bold letters, each paper stated that neither Alpha could possibly have sired the daughter of Tendou Satori.

“Satori?” Eita’s quiet voice wavered slightly. “Are you sure there’s no one else you slept with the night you got pregnant?”

All he could do was shake his head. No, there was no one else that he had slept with. At least, no one that he remembered.

“So that means…”

It was all finally settling in for the Omega, the realization that he had gotten pregnant by someone else and didn’t remember a single damn thing about anything that had happened.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. 
> 
> Show of hands, how many of y'all saw that coming? I swear I watched too any soap operas with my mom growing up... But anyway who's ready for angst and drama for the next few chapters?? 
> 
> Also please check out [ this](http://mystic-miss-bliss.tumblr.com/post/156635473310/im-in-a-drawing-mood-lately-so-i-decided-to-draw) awesome fanart! I'm so in love with it and Usagi looks so adorable here! 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr if you're in the mood for seeing all kinds of random things!


	19. It's a Wonder

Tendou sat staring at his hands, completely numb to everything going on around him. Reon, Hana and Taichi had already left, seeing that there was nothing they could do to help Satori and the downward spiral he was currently going through.

“Satori?”

He wondered for a brief moment just who it was trying to get his attention. Satori had no desire to talk to anyone, to bother dealing with the questions to which he had no answers for.

“Is he gonna be alright?”

What did they think? That finding out he had no memory of sleeping with some nameless Alpha and now had no clue who sired his daughter would leave him in a bright, sunny mood?

“Satori, please.”

And not even the soothing baritone voice of Wakatoshi could make him feel better.

“Mama… Mama.”

His heart clenched at the pitiful sound of his daughter, could feel her tugging on his pants in order to get his attention. He knew that Usagi was trying to make him pay attention to her, and normally he would be more than happy to give his precious cub all of his undivided attention, but now…

Now he felt like he had completely failed his only child.

He shook his head slowly before getting to his feet, ignoring the calls of his name. He didn’t deserve to have their concern, and he definitely didn’t deserve to have Usagi’s unconditional love. Satori felt like he was the absolute worst mother ever.

“Hey,” Eita’s quiet voice murmured and he pulled on Satori’s arm. “Let’s get you back to my place. You can stay with me and Hayato for as long as you and Usagi need to.”

Usagi… What was he going to do about her? He couldn’t face his daughter now, maybe not ever. “Not Usagi,” he mumbled under his breath, suddenly feeling so very tired. “Can’t.” She couldn’t see him so weak and vulnerable. He was her precious mama, the one who always made things better for her, only now he had completely ruined everything.

“Okay,” Eita quietly spoke. “We’ll figure something out for Usagi, but we can’t leave her with just anyone.”

What did it matter? Satori didn’t deserve to have Usagi anyway. She’d be better off with someone else, a better parent, one who could properly care for her every need. Every part of Satori was telling him what a worthless Omega he was, and he was slowly starting to believe it all.

“I will take her,” Wakatoshi’s deep voice penetrated Satori’s thoughts, and he blinked before looking up at his Alpha. “If you can gather enough clothing and other essentials, then I will take Usagi to my family home. She will stay with me and my family for as long as it takes you to recover from this shock.”

Ah, Wakatoshi was such a good Alpha. Too good for him…

“How does that sound, hmm?” Satori felt a gentle hand rubbing against his back, and he recognized the touch as belonging to Eita. “You trust Usagi with Ushijima, right?”

Of course he did, how could he not? Satori managed to give a small nod and Eita brightened slightly.

“Great, then that’s settled.”

Satori’s shoulders sagged as he watched Wakatoshi gather Usagi in his arms. That should be Satori holding his cub, he should be the one to comfort her, to love her, but now…

He just didn’t even know where to go from there.

 

* * *

 

Ushijima Atsuko was the type of Omega that prided herself on having everything just right and as perfect as possible in her life. Her only child was her greatest pride and joy, and he continued to surprise her every day. After all, not many people could say that their son was a starting player for the Japanese national volleyball team. He was also a good Alpha, a strong and handsome Alpha, one that would never abandon her much like her former mate had, and Atsuko loved her son more than life itself.

So when he had called her, asking if he could stay at their family home for a few days, she had eagerly agreed. It had been so long since she had seen Wakatoshi face to face, and she just wanted to be able to sit down and catch up on all that was going on in his life.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, there was a loud knock at the door, and Atsuko ran, smiling wide as she pulled the door open and found herself staring up at her much larger son.

“Wakatoshi!”

“Hello, mother,” he murmured, and that was when Atsuko noticed the wide-eyed little girl hanging around Wakatoshi’s neck. “I know everything is rushed, and I hope that we did not come at a bad time.”

Wakatoshi’s mother stared silently at the little girl who stared right back at her before finally hiding her face in Wakatoshi’s neck. When her son had called her earlier, he had left out any mention of having a child with him, and Atsuko found that odd. More than odd, to be perfectly honest.

“Wakatoshi?” She waited until her son had turned his attention back to her. “Er, you never mentioned…” How should she continue? She didn’t want to come across as ungrateful that he was there, but there was still the matter of the girl he was still holding onto, gently rubbing her back in a soothing manner.

“Mother, could we move inside? Usagi seems to be having a difficult time adjusting, and being inside may be better for her.”

His mother blinked before nodding mutely and sliding the door open for Wakatoshi to walk through. Usagi. Well, she now knew the girl’s name. Nothing else, but that was a start.

“Wakatoshi, I hate to be a bother, but you never mentioned anything about bringing a child with you,” she hoped that he would explain just where the girl had come from, and better yet, where her parents were.

Wakatoshi seemed to mull this over in his mind before realizing that he hadn’t mentioned Usagi would be staying with him. “Ah. Mother, this is Tendou Usagi.”

Now where had Atsuko heard that name before?

“You might remember my former teammate from Shiratorizawa, Tendou Satori.” He gently pried Usagi’s face from his neck, turning her so that his mother could get a better look at her. “This is Satori’s daughter, Usagi. She’s two years old, and she will be staying with me until Satori is able to care for her once more. He’s a very dedicated mother, but is unable to care for himself, much less his daughter right now.”

The more Wakatoshi spoke, the more she studied the little girl now staring shyly at her. She had bright red hair, and suddenly Atsuko was hit with memory of another Omega, one also with the same shade of fiery red locks and a personality to match. She swallowed hard and gave her son a nervous smile. “I see… And your friend, he’s one of the Omega’s from your old team, correct?” Wakatoshi nodded his head and she sucked in a deep breath. “And you say he isn’t feeling well?”

Wakatoshi shook his head before placing Usagi to her feet, watching as she looked around at her new surroundings, but her fingers still clinging to his pant leg. “Satori received distressing news very recently and it’s left him devastated. I’ll be caring for Usagi until he’s better.”

Atsuko frowned down at the little girl, watching as she released Wakatoshi finally and began to wander around. “But why? She’s your friend’s cub, isn’t she? Shouldn’t the cub’s father be the one to care for her?”

Wakatoshi visibly winced at the mention of Usagi’s father. “Yes,” he murmured before kneeling down and motioning for Usagi to come to him, a slow smile settling across his face. “But Satori has no idea who sired his cub, and I have been courting Satori for some time now. It is at the point that I may claim him as my mate in the future. It’s only right that I should become accustomed to taking care of his daughter. She may become my adopted daughter someday.”

Well, that was a surprise to Wakatoshi’s mother. She had been under the assumption that her son hadn’t been seeing anyone, but then again they didn’t speak as often as she would have liked.

As Usagi slowly turned her gaze to Atsuko once again, the Omega woman froze in place. There was something in that cub’s eyes… She quickly shook her head and quietly excused herself.

Wakatoshi watched his mother’s back, lips turned downward into a frown. His mother’s reaction, it wasn’t what he had been hoping for, in fact, he had hoped that she would be overjoyed at the prospect of having a potential grandcub. She had been after him for years to settle down and take a proper mate of his own, have pups of his own, so her reaction just made no sense to him. The Alpha felt a little tug at the collar of his shirt, and he turned his attention to Usagi, smiling at the way Usagi giggled at him and snuggled closer to him.

Perhaps this would be the perfect opportunity for his mother and grandmother to get to know Usagi better. Surely once they spent more time with her, they would fall in love with her as he had.

 

* * *

 

Wakatoshi was slowly starting to realize that staying with his family may not have been the best idea. His grandmother had been kind enough to Usagi, but his mother was a different story…

Every time she would encounter the little girl, she would quickly turn on her heel and head in the opposite direction. Wakatoshi thought nothing of it since his mother had her eccentricities, but as their visit grew longer, he slowly began to realize that something wasn’t right.

Atsuko would refuse to look Usagi in the eye, but would quietly glance at the cub out of the corner of her eye when she thought no one was paying attention to her. Wakatoshi thought that odd, but said nothing about it. Then came the night when Wakatoshi was helping Usagi with her bath; Atsuko had slid the door open to leave towels for the pair and let out a sharp cry, almost as if she had been hit. When Wakatoshi turned around, he found his mother shaking where she stood, her eyes boring into Usagi’s back. He had questioned his mother if she was alright, but she kept staring at what appeared to be an almost heart-shaped mark on Usagi’s lower back at the base of her spine. The Alpha quietly explained that that was a birthmark, but his mother didn’t seem to hear him, instead opting to silently slip out of the room without saying another word about it. It was an odd birthmark, yes, but he himself had one that was very similar to it on his back as well.

What Wakatoshi realized was the final straw came when he left Usagi alone in his mother and grandmother’s presence under the pretense of making a phone call, only to hear loud wails that he recognized as Usagi’s just a few minutes after he had left the two alone. Every instinct inside him told him to hurry, to make sure the girl he thought of as his own cub was safe, that she was alright. As fast as his legs would take him, he ran to the room where the cries were coming from, throwing the door open to find his mother with her fingers tightly wrapped around Usagi’s little wrist.

Atsuko’s head snapped up, seeming to realize just what she was doing. She quickly released Usagi, and the cub immediately ran to Wakatoshi. “W-Wawa! WAWA!” She bawled and threw her arms around Wakatoshi’s legs, each sob that came from her little body breaking Wakatoshi’s heart more and more.

He immediately knelt down, scooping a still-crying Usagi into his arms before turning a hot glare to his mother. “Would you care to explain just what happened, mother?” He snarled, protective pheromones emitting from his being while his mother shrunk away, shaking her head and whimpering. “I left Usagi in here with enough to entertain herself, and you take it upon yourself to punish her? And for what?”

Atsuko moaned and shook her head. “W-Wakatoshi, I didn’t mean…”

“Didn’t mean to what? Leave a bruise on Usagi? You had no right,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

“But… I only…”

“There’s no excuse for what you did!” Wakatoshi was one to keep his emotions at bay, to never allow that Alpha side to take over, but he was so close at that point. His mother was now cowering, and the only thing that he could think at that moment, was that she deserved to fear what he could potentially do. She had absolutely no right to touch Usagi in any manner. She had to be completely out of her mind to even-

“She did it because the girl was coloring with her left hand,” came the response from his grandmother, the elderly Omega cackling as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. Both Wakatoshi and Atsuko’s heads snapped toward Wakatoshi’s grandmother. She shook her head before glancing at her daughter, giving her a solemn look. “I told you this would come back to haunt you someday. And now look what you’ve done.”

His brow furrowed, trying to figure out why his mother would turn against Usagi just because she was coloring with her left hand. Just what exactly was his grandmother meaning? “I don’t understand.”

His mother let out a heartwrenching sound, burying her face in her hands while her shoulders were racked by sobs. All the while, the Alpha frowned, having no idea what his grandmother was going on about. He opened his mouth to speak, but his grandmother beat him to the punch.

 “You see, your mother has been keeping secrets from you, Wakatoshi,” his grandmother released a long sigh before turning a soft gaze to the sniffling girl in Wakatoshi’s arms. “Big secrets that she knows you might not ever forgive her for if you ever found out she’d been hiding things from you.”

“Mother, please don’t…”

“Oh be quiet,” the older Omega snapped before once again staring at a shell-shocked Wakatoshi.

“Mother…”

“Wakatoshi, your mother never told you about things that happened three years ago.”

Three years ago? Wakatoshi’s frown deepened, trying to remember if anything of importance had happened that long ago, but his mind was drawing a blank.

“What your mother conveniently failed to mention, is that there’s a damn good chance you’re the Alpha that sired that cub.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll finally find out just what happened at the party... We only have a few chapters left until the story is over. 
> 
> I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there will more than likely not be a new chapter next weekend. My fiance and I are going to Pensacon, which is a comic con located in Pensacola, Florida. I'm so excited for it, because I'll be spending the whole weekend with my parents, and it'll be my fiance's first ever con. If any of y'all happen to be going to Pensacon, let me know, I'd love to meet with y'all if possible! 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for being supportive and for still enjoying the story as it progresses. I'm amazed it's gotten this much love, and it's all thanks to y'all for reading and giving it a chance.


	20. One Fateful Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions and description of dub con, nothing too graphic (I don't think) but y'all have been warned. If it makes you uncomfortable, I would skip the middle portion of the chapter.

“Wawa!”

Wakatoshi blinked, glancing down at the cub in his lap as she happily colored scribbles on the paper she had been given. He managed a slow nod to show his approval. “Yes, it is a very good picture,” he murmured, and that seemed to be enough for Usagi as she went back to doodling happily.

His mind was reeling over what his grandmother had revealed just a few minutes earlier, and no one appeared to be ready to say anything at that moment. Wakatoshi had so many questions, but the one that was at the forefront of his mind was…

How?

How could he possibly be Usagi’s potential sire when he had no recollection of _ever_ being with Satori during the time Usagi had been conceived? Surely he would remember something so vital and important.

Finally, it was his grandmother who cleared her throat as she looked between her daughter and grandson. “Don’t you think you have some things to explain?” The question was directed to Atsuko, who winced and hung her head.

Wakatoshi felt his brow furrow. His mother’s reactions were just too much for him to ignore, but again…

“Three years ago,” was the quiet murmur from his mother. “That’s when it happened.”

He wasn’t sure what he had expected to hear, but that wasn’t it. He could feel the frustration building, agitation eating away at him and it seemed his mother could sense it.

She finally lifted her head, eyes filled with unshed tears as her attention turned to Usagi. “I never thought that boy would ever wind up getting pregnant, and then when you brought her,” her head inclined toward Usagi, the cub not paying any attention to the conversation around her. “I had hoped that she was someone else’s pup, so I never told you about the events that happened that night.”

“And I’ve always told you to never assume anything,” Wakatoshi’s grandmother snorted. “It’s plain as day that she belongs to Wakatoshi! Looks just like him when he was that age! And it’ll be nice to finally have another female in the house. Especially if she presents as an Omega.” The older woman nodded her head approvingly, reaching a hand out to gently pat at the little girl’s head.  

Wakatoshi felt his eyes flick downward to Usagi, every primal instinct within him wanting desperately to believe that this cub was his. She was a bright, beautiful child, so how could anyone not want to be her sire? But how? How was there was even the smallest possibility that she was his?

“When you brought him to our home after that party,” Wakatoshi’s head whipped back up. He could see just how much this bothered his mother to talk about, could smell the fear emanating from her. “That’s when it happened.”

 

* * *

 

_Three years earlier…_

Wakatoshi frowned as he watched Satori imbibe bottle after bottle of cheap beer, throwing himself at any available Alpha who seemed to pay him the least bit of attention. His fingers curled around his own bottle just slightly before putting the bottle down completely. Perhaps it hadn’t been a good idea after all to come to this party, even if it was to celebrate all of Miyagi’s hometown heroes joining the national team.

“Why the sour look, Ushiwaka?”

He threw a glance over his shoulder, finding a smirking Oikawa and his mate behind him. Wakatoshi turned to face the pair. “Oikawa, Iwaizumi. Good to see you both.”

Oikawa’s face scrunched up in disgust. “Bland and formal as always,” the Omega muttered under his breath. He craned his neck to get a good look behind Wakatoshi, lips slowly curving up into a knowing grin. “Looks like someone’s going to get lucky tonight,” he cackled and Iwaizumi jabbed his mate in his side, hissing for him to shut up.

Amber orbs widened as he watched Satori drag a faceless Alpha toward what he could only assume was an empty room. Satori was obviously not in the right frame of mind to properly know what he was doing, and what kind of Alpha would take advantage of an Omega obviously under the influence? He growled lowly, ready to cross the room and stop his friend from making a mistake, when he a loud, prolonged sigh behind him.

“I swear, Ushiwaka, your pheromones are making it impossible to breathe! It’s obvious that Tendou-chan is old enough to know what he wants.” For some reason, those words cut Wakatoshi deeply and he watched in silence as Satori yanked the Alpha’s face down to his own. “Oh, and it looks like he wants someone to rock his world tonight~.”

“Tooru,” Iwaizumi hissed, but Tooru shrugged, appearing nonplussed.

He knew Oikawa was right, in that Satori was indeed mature enough to decide what he wanted, but he still couldn’t help but worry… He quietly excused himself, ignoring the way Oikawa called after him, trying to egg him on. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Satori, but he only feared for his friend’s safety. Was that really such a terrible thing?

It was becoming too tight in the room, too closed-in for the Alpha’s liking, so Wakatoshi excused himself from the party, telling the hosts that he had enjoyed himself but that he needed to go home. It wasn’t a lie, but he knew his mother wasn’t expecting him to be home for quite some time. He found a solitary bench, not too far away from where the party was taking place, and settled himself with a quiet sigh. His thoughts turned to how things had changed so drastically in the time he had been scouted, only a short time ago. It only seemed like yesterday that he was in high school, playing alongside his teammates and going to nationals.

Now, all of those teammates had gone their own separate ways. Semi and Yamagata had found happiness in one another, recently bonding and sharing the happy news with their friends; Shirabu was due to graduate college and begin teaching soon; Reon, with his chemistry degree, had received a lucrative offer from a well-known pharmaceuticals company; it wouldn’t be long before Goshiki was also scouted for the national team, and Satori had graduated with his nursing degree and was loving his job at a prestigious hospital in Tokyo…

Wakatoshi released a heavy breath, leaning back against the bench before allowing his eyes to close momentarily. It wouldn’t do to dwell on things of the past, he knew this. He knew that he would always maintain the friendships he had made over the years, so there was no need to feel uncomfortable with the prospect of change. Nevertheless, that feeling was lodged firmly in his chest, making it somewhat difficult to breathe…

It was slow at first, so Wakatoshi didn’t realize until the smell was upon him just what was happening. A sweet, spicy scent wafted through the air and Wakatoshi’s eyes snapped open. He sat straight up, spine rigid as he tried to find the source of the scent.

Heat. There was an Omega in heat so very close by.

“H-Hey, Wakatoshi-kun…” And there was Satori, eyes half-lidded and body swaying back and forth on unsteady legs. “Wh-Where’d ya go? Missed seein’ you at the party. Didn’ even tell me b-bye-bye!” The redhead snickered and Wakatoshi was there to reach his arms out, catching Satori before he hit the ground face-first.

“Satori,” he swallowed hard, trying to resist the smell that filled his nostrils. “You’re in heat.” And he _reeked_ of other Alphas. Wakatoshi tried to keep his instincts in check, the ones telling him to rid Satori of any offending stench and replace it with his own scent, to keep his canines from extending at the smell of Alpha that wasn’t him.

“Ding ding ding! We have a winnerrrrrr!” Satori giggled, throwing his arms around the Alpha and nuzzling his cheek against Wakatoshi’s throat, and how Wakatoshi tried his damndest not to growl at _that_. “Mmm, you smell sooo good,” Satori whimpered and rubbed himself against Wakatoshi, whether out of instinct or in an attempt to entice him, the Alpha wasn’t sure. What he was certain of, was that the longer Satori stayed out in the open as he was, the more likely it would be that some Alpha who didn’t have his best interests at heart would stumble upon him.

“It’s not safe for you to be out here,” he murmured, turning to help Satori climb onto his back. “We should get you to safety. It’s too late for you to take suppressants now, but perhaps your family can-”

“Nnnnooo! Not them!” Satori whined as he buried his face against the back of Wakatoshi’s neck. “They s-suck! An’ not in the good way either!” He blinked once, then snickered as he realized what he said.

Oh. Well, if he wasn’t allowed to take him to his own family, then maybe… “Satori,” Wakatoshi gently murmured, hoping just being near him would be enough of an Alpha’s presence to convince him to do as he suggested. “My family home is nearby. You can stay with us for the night, until we figure out what to do tomorrow.”

That seemed good enough for the Omega as Satori cheered, winding his legs around Wakatoshi’s waist and leaning forward to drape his body against his friend’s back. “Y-Yer the best, ‘Toshi-kun,” his words became more and more slurred, movements sluggish, all signs that his heat was moving out of the early stages, and into the next phase, a harsher one that made him lose all rationality and any sense of who he was.

Wakatoshi sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep his senses about him as Satori’s heat scent began to cloud his mind, but he couldn’t lose control just because he was in the presence of an Omega in heat. This was his friend! He had to keep his cool for Satori! But he had to admit, even to himself, that feeling Satori rub against his back, feeling how hard he really was… Wakatoshi swallowed hard, thankful that his home truly was close by.

His knees buckled just as he made it across the threshold, and his mother was there in an instant.

“Wakatoshi,” she gasped when she saw the panting, whimpering Omega on her son’s back. “Is that-”

“Yes mother,” his voice came out more of a snarl than he had anticipated. He knew it was due to being in such close proximity to Satori, and he could tell it was finally affecting him. “We need to get him,” he paused to try and catch his breath. “Heat room.”

His mother nodded her head quickly, cooing softly into the younger Omega’s ear in an attempt to calm his nerves, to put his mind at ease and convince him that he was in a safe environment. It seemed to help; Satori was softly mewling in response, squirming and shivering in place where he sat, but the moment Satori locked eyes with Wakatoshi, the Alpha knew that he had to keep his distance from his friend. It wasn’t safe for him to be anywhere near Satori in this state, not when his instincts kept demanding Wakatoshi take this Omega in heat. _  
_

Once Wakatoshi was assured that Satori had gotten a proper bath and was shut away in the home’s heat room, he himself decided to get as much rest as he could. But as much as Wakatoshi tried to force himself to sleep, he just couldn’t get the sight or scent of Satori out of his mind. It was disconcerting to Wakatoshi to think about just what kind of Alphas had gotten to Satori in his heat-addled state, and fingers clutched the sheets on his bed tightly just considering it, and finally, finally he found himself beginning to drift off.

Or so he thought.

 How or when, he wasn’t sure, but Wakatoshi’s body moved of its own accord, tearing through his room and down the hall toward the heat room, where he knew the Omega was. The purpose of the room was to keep any and all scents and sounds of heat away from any Alphas or Betas in the vicinity, but to an Alpha like him, the room proved useless. Wakatoshi could smell it all, that sweet, heavy scent that was crying out to him like a sirens call. All he knew, in his current state, was that he had to get to that Omega, no matter what.

He was suddenly in the room, having no memory of pulling the door open, nearly tearing the door off its hinges, and there was the Omega, squirming and crying out for any kind of relief. His steps took him across the room and then, he had the Omega whose scent had been taunting him all night long in his arms at last.

“Alpha,” was the feeble whimper that came from the Omega, and Wakatoshi shivered. He pressed his face against the Omega’s neck, relishing in the choked cries he received with every nip and lick he gave. “P-Please!” He bared his throat to the Alpha by craning his neck to the side, showing his submission and desire for Wakatoshi to claim him.

Yes, this was a good Omega. This was the Omega he could claim as his, he would bond and mate this Omega so that everyone knew that he belonged to him. He would knot and fill him, breed him, give him all of Wakatoshi’s pups…

These were the constant thoughts that drove Wakatoshi to pin his Omega down, to practically rip their clothing off. His Omega mewled and weakly flipped himself over onto his stomach, offering his slick-coated entrance to the Alpha, and Wakatoshi felt his teeth snap hard together at the sight.

“Alpha… Knot me…”

That was all it took for Wakatoshi to snap, to pounce and fill his Omega to the brim. Their coupling was rough, filling the air with cries and gasps as Wakatoshi took what was rightfully his. Every instinct within him was howling for him to claim his Omega, to bond and seal them both together for eternity.

And suddenly, a gasp followed by a sharp cry. “Wakatoshi!”

He stiffened slightly, throwing his head over his shoulder and snarling. “Get out,” he hissed. He recognized the individual as an Omega, but Omega or not, he wouldn’t allow anyone to come between him and taking what was his. It was so reckless and dangerous to even consider interrupting an Alpha in the middle of knotting an Omega, as it could cause undue pain to both parties to disturb a knotting.

“What are you doing?!” And suddenly there were hands on Wakatoshi, trying to pry him away from his Omega.

Wakatoshi was enraged. How dare they? Who was this to try and stop him from what claiming what was his?

“You’ve gone into a rut, Wakatoshi! You’re not in your right mind! Please, you have to get off your friend!”

He yanked his arm away and shoved the Omega away. “Go,” he roared, tired of having to deal with the interruptions. His rut-induced mind turned again to the Omega beneath him, a hand moving to wind around his waist. He flattened his palm against the Omega’s smooth abdomen, already picturing what he would look like, round with Wakatoshi’s pups. Yes, this would be it, this was the Omega he wanted, and soon…

His canines extended and he leaned forward, gently scraping sharpened teeth against the soft flesh of the Omega’s scent gland. His Omega shivered beneath him. “P-Please, Alpha,” his voice was so tiny, so frail as he asked for his Alpha to finish, to sink his teeth down and bond with him.

Before Wakatoshi could push down and sink his teeth into his Omega, a sharp pain suddenly bloomed from his shoulder and he yanked himself back. He let out a pained hiss, reaching an arm behind him to find the source of the pain.

“I-I’m sorry, Wakatoshi,” it was obvious the Omega from before was crying. “I had no choice…”

Who did this Omega think she was?! Pure, unadulterated rage filled his being, and every single one of his Alpha instincts were telling him to lash out, to punish the one who caused him any kind of discomfort. Wakatoshi’s arm darted out, managing to snatch the Omega’s arm in his grasp, when he suddenly found he couldn’t move a muscle. In fact, he felt so fatigued right at that moment, swaying back and forth, eyes drooping as he tried to catch his breath, until he finally slumped over. His ears picked up on the soft sobs of the Omega, over and over she said how sorry she was for having to do what she thought was right.

He could feel her arms around him, and as hard as he fought it, Wakatoshi eventually gave up and finally allowed his mind to drift to a dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

“A-And I cleaned you both, put you back in your room,” Atsuko was visibly shaking, her hands wringing themselves. “I expected you and Tendou-kun to want answers, b-but neither of you seemed to remember anything… So I let it be.” She shook her head. “I should have told you, I know I should have, but I just thought, if neither you nor Tendou-kun remembered what had occurred, then perhaps it would be best to not say anything. I used the Alpha tranquilizers because I knew I had to stop you from making a mistake. I didn’t want you to be forever bonded to someone you might not love because of one night of passion.”

“And I told you that was so incredibly stupid of you,” Wakatoshi’s grandmother hissed at her daughter.

Wakatoshi was stunned at everything his mother had admitted to. He was speechless, but honestly, what could he possibly say? What did his mother expect him to say, to feel?

“So,” he managed to speak after long minutes of silence. “What you’re saying, is that I was sent into a rut as a result of Satori’s heat, and you used an Alpha tranquilizer on me, _knowing_ there was a possibility that I wouldn’t remember anything I did during my rut?” He snarled, unmoved by the way his mother winced, refusing to look her son in the eye.

“And you knew what I had done all this time, knew that I had taken Satori and almost bonded with him,” Wakatoshi stopped mid-thought, horrified as the realization of what he had done to Satori during his heat. What had he done? “I forced myself on him,” he whispered. There was no way Satori could have given full consent to share his heat with Wakatoshi in the state he had been in, and there was nothing more shameful to Wakatoshi, than an Alpha who forced himself on any Omega, no matter the circumstances.

He felt like he was going to be sick.

“Wawa?”

Wakatoshi braced himself, suddenly reminded of the cub in his lap. Usagi stared up at him with wide, bright eyes, eyes that now seemed more than a little familiar… Were those his eyes? Was this cub the result of the coupling he shared with Satori and had no memory of? Everything within him was howling yes, this was _his_ daughter, and no one could claim her but himself. It surprised Wakatoshi at how much he truly wanted to be Usagi’s father, but he knew that he had to be completely sure. He had to test his DNA against Usagi’s, and then…

Usagi suddenly stood up in Wakatoshi’s lap, reaching her arms up in an attempt to wrap tiny arms around his neck. Wakatoshi gently wound his arms around her, and she began to purr softly. Hearing the sound of purrs clearly meant to try and soothe him made his heart clench within his chest. He didn’t deserve to be this cub’s sire, she was too pure and perfect considering what he had done to her mother. Tears burned at the corners of his eyes and he his eyes screwed shut, holding Usagi close to him.

His daughter. And if it was true that he was the one that sired Usagi, how could he ever face Satori again knowing now what had happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHOO CHOO! All aboard the angst train! 
> 
> So there we have it! We finally know what happened that fateful night, and now we'll see how Ushi struggles with this new information in the next couple of chapters...
> 
> Once again I want to thank y'all from the bottom of my heart for sticking with this fic. I never thought anyone would enjoy it, and I love each and every one of you for taking the time to give kudos or comment, it means more to me than you will ever know! <3
> 
> Stalk me on tumblr and tell me what a horrible person I am and how I shouldn't make my babies cry. I won't listen, but still, feel free to try and convince me!


	21. Coming to Terms

Satori always knew deep-down that going down the path of trying to find out just who had fathered his daughter would lead to some heartbreak; after all, he _had_ slept with two different Alphas, his teammates and close friends, but he had always figured it was no big deal in the back of his mind whenever he thought about who Usagi’s sire could be since he always knew it had to be either Reon or Taichi. He had been coherent enough to know just who he was sleeping with at that party, but to realize the truth that he had run into someone he didn’t remember… Well, never had it occurred to him that he had been knotted by an unknown Alpha the night that he had gotten pregnant. It hurt so much to even think about it, and all he wanted to do was hide under the biggest rock he could find and never face the light of day ever again.

Satori heard a long, drawn-out sigh from above him and felt the sheets being tugged away from his head. “You can’t keep hiding like this, Satori. You’ve got to come out at some point.”

The redhead yanked the covers back over his head. “Oh yes I can,” he tried to sound as chipper as he could. “Just watch me, Semisemi.” He could definitely live like this, hiding from everyone he knew. He was born for this!

“And what about Usagi?”

Satori froze under the sheets before finally poking his head out. He glowered at Eita and grumbled under his breath before sitting up, letting out a deep breath. “What about Usagi?” The sheets were wrapped around his head, only his face visible while he pouted.

Eita gingerly lowered himself onto the bed, propping himself up with several fluffy pillows before glancing over at Satori. “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about, Satori.” Semi tried to tread lightly, not wanting to set his friend off by saying the wrong thing, but Satori had to find a way to get out of the funk he was in. “You’ve got to figure out how you can live with this so you can go back to Usagi and be the parent she needs.”

Satori was unusually quiet for a few beats. “I don’t deserve Usagi,” he murmured, fingers clenching and unclenching around the sheets.

The ash-blonde Omega let out a deep breath, trying to resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Satori…”

“No, I’m serious,” Satori’s brow furrowed, lips turned down into a frown. “I should’ve done the right thing from the beginning, I should’ve given Usagi up for adoption.” He missed the way Eita’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Satori.”

“She’d be better off with someone who isn’t me.”

“Hey-”

“A mom who isn’t such a fuck up, doesn’t even know who knocked him up. I shouldn’t have been so selfish when I decided to keep her,” he was rambling by this point. “I don’t deserve to be a mom, I wish I’d never gotten pregnant at all.”

Eita finally saw red. “That’s enough!”

Reddish eyes blinked, Satori turned his attention to Eita who seemed to be on the verge of tears. “Eh? Semisemi?” What was wrong with him?

“I’ve had enough of you feeling so damn sorry for yourself!” Eita’s eyes flashed with anger, wiping angrily at his eyes before he snapped again. “Do you have _any_ idea how many people would kill to be in your shoes? How many Omegas would do anything to have a pup like Usagi to love them?”

Satori’s frown deepened, opening his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Eita. “I was so damn jealous of you when you called me, telling me how you had gotten pregnant so easily while I kept having miscarriage after miscarriage!”

The redhead winced, suddenly feeling like the biggest piece of shit in the world. “Hey, I didn’t mean-”

“You got pregnant the first try and I’ve had seven miscarriages, Satori! Seven! And you have the fucking nerve to complain, saying that you don’t deserve the pup you have and you should have just given her away? Well, if that’s how you really feel, then maybe you should have! At least Usagi would be with someone who loves her and doesn’t spend his time feeling sorry for himself!”

Satori gaped, looking much like a fish in that moment while he watched his now sobbing friend tear into him. What could he say? Of course he loved Usagi, anyone who thought differently was insane! He just… Well, he just didn’t know what to do anymore. “Ei-Eita… I didn’t mean,” he choked, wiping at his face to rid himself of his tears.

“No, you never do, do you,” Eita snapped at Satori, eyes red from his own bout of crying. “You’ve got it so good, and you don’t even see it.” He slowed down, taking a deep breath before laughing weakly, shaking his head before reaching for Satori’s hand. “Usagi loves you more than anything else in this world,” he squeezed Satori’s hand gently. “And so does Wakatoshi. This may not be what you were expecting to have to deal with, but are you really ready to give it all up now? Are you really that willing to give up altogether?”

Satori had to stop and think about what Eita was asking him. It had been the biggest shock of his life (other than the day he found out he was pregnant) to find out that he hadn’t gotten pregnant by either Alpha he remembered sleeping with during his heat. His Omegan instincts had scolded him, told him that he was the worst Omega ever, that he didn’t deserve his daughter or Wakatoshi, but…

It was scary, thinking about the fact that his daughter would most likely never know her biological father, and there was a chance she would grow up to hate him for that. But the more he thought about it, about how good his life really was, he knew he had to take that chance.

He took a deep breath, squeezing Eita’s hand before slowly smiling. “I don’t know… I don’t know that I’ll ever really wrap my head around what happened, y’know?” Lips quirked up in a half-smirk. “But I know that I don’t wanna lose what makes me happy now. My cub, Wakatoshi,” Satori’s features softened the more he thought about the two most important people in his life. “I wanna be the best mom and mate I can be.”

Eita swallowed, watching Satori with an intent gaze. “So what does that mean?”

There was a pregnant pause before Satori carefully stood away from the bed, smirking down at Eita with hands to his hips. “It means I better get dressed. I don’t want Chibi-Usa to be scared of what I look like now!”

Semi’s smile slowly widened, happy to see Satori finally get himself together. “I’d start with that birds nest you’ve got going,” Eita muttered as Satori glanced at himself in a mirror and squawked.

“Eitaaaaaa! Why didn’t you tell me it was this bad!”

 

* * *

 

Satori had asked Wakatoshi to meet him with Usagi at a local park, and he was more than ready to see his daughter and Alpha. The past few days without them had left him more than a little antsy and Satori couldn’t wait to finally be reunited with the pair. Hands jammed into his pockets, he slowly made his way inside the park entrance, letting his eyes scan the area to see where his little family was.

Finally, he saw Usagi squealing and tugging on Wakatoshi’s pants, trying to lead him to the pond where there were ducks.

“’Ook, Wawa! ‘Ook!”

“Yes,” Wakatoshi murmured, a soft smile on his face as he knelt down to Usagi’s level. “I see the ducks.”

The little girl squealed and bounced in place. “Dey p’etty!”

Satori had quietly stalked up to the pair, watching in silence with a wide grin splitting his face in half. Wakatoshi was nodding in agreement with everything Usagi said, the cub informing her Wawa of just how much she knew about ducks. He almost hated to interrupt, but after several days being without his daughter, he had to have her close soon…

Satori cleared his throat and Wakatoshi turned his head slightly, eyes widening slightly before turning again to Usagi. He leaned down and quietly whispered into her ear, and that was when Usagi’s head shot up and little legs turned her around where she saw her mother. Satori grinned and slowly knelt down, waving at his daughter. “Hey, Chibi-Usa. Did you miss me?”

Honey-gold eyes blinked once, almost as if she couldn’t believe her mother were really right there in front of her. Then little features screwed up into a pitiful face and she threw her arms out. “M-MAMA!” Usagi vaulted herself forward, throwing herself against Satori, bawling into his shoulder. Her body racked with sobs and wails of ‘mama’ and Satori had to fight back his own tears. Finally he felt at peace, everything was right once again with the world now that he had his daughter back in his arms.

“Y-Yeah, Mama missed you too…” His voice cracked and arms wound as tight as they possibly could around Usagi. “I missed you so much, you just don’t know,” he laughed wetly before turning his gaze up to Wakatoshi. “You and Wawa both.”

Wakatoshi’s lips quirked into a slow smile before he offered a hand to Satori, helping the Omega up with ease while he still carried Usagi. “Are you alright, Satori?”

“Yup!” Satori was beaming as he led the Alpha to a bench to sit down. “Never better!” Wakatoshi gave the Omega a dubious look and Satori snickered. “Why so serious, Wakatoshi-kun? I mean it! I know I kinda had a meltdown, but I’m tons better, honest!”

It appeared that Wakatoshi was still doubtful as he quietly slid a hand atop Satori’s knee. “I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better, I was worried for you,” he murmured quietly. “Satori, I need to talk to you about something important…”

“Before you do, lemme go first.” The redhead missed the way Wakatoshi stiffened, eager to tell the Alpha everything on his heart. “I know I freaked out on you guys,” his eyes shifted to Usagi who was still curled up against her mother’s chest. “And I should’ve taken the time to talk things out, but everything was telling me how I was the worst Omega ever.”

Amber eyes widened slightly and Wakatoshi shook his head quickly. “That is not-”

“So, I just felt sorry for myself, instead of realizing how good my life really is.” Satori paused to place a soft kiss to the crown of Usagi’s head. “Usagi may never know who her sire is, and I hate that because she may grow up and resent me for that. But then I realized something.”

“And that is?”

Satori’s upper half turned slightly so that he was facing Wakatoshi, leaning forward to place a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “She’s got you, and that’s all she’ll ever need. You’re more her father than any biological sire ever could be to her. Hell, you’re the one that got to hold her first when she was born!” He laughed and shook his head.  

Wakatoshi swallowed hard. “Satori, I really need to tell you about-”

“And to be honest, I was totally fine before all this with not knowing who, and I realize now that I don’t really wanna know who it was that knocked me up that night. The way I figure it, I’m just better off not knowing anything about what happened,” Satori finished proudly, excited for Wakatoshi’s reaction, but… Wakatoshi said nothing, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape as he stared at Satori. Well, that was a bit odd. He was expecting Wakatoshi to jump and down for joy (okay, maybe not literally jump and down), or feel some kind of way!

“Wakkun?” Satori nudged the Alpha gently with an elbow. “Whatd’ya think?”

That seemed to snap Wakatoshi out of his inner musings and he gave a slow nod, gently grasping one of Satori’s hands with his own. “I see… You know that I love both you and Usagi no matter what you may decide, but are you certain that this is what you really want? You absolutely don’t ever want to know who it was that sired Usagi?”

Damn, Wakatoshi was pretty serious most of the time, but right now, he looked the most serious he ever had to Satori. He was fully facing Satori, his face had lost some color to it and Wakatoshi’s fingers were gripping Satori’s hand in an almost death-grip. The redhead snickered and pulled his hand out of Wakatoshi’s, poking a finger at Wakatoshi’s cheek. “So serious today, aren’tcha? I can promise you that I’ve had a lot of time to think this through, and I don’t ever need to know. I can live with it, and I’m hoping Usagi can too.”

It almost worried Satori how quiet Wakatoshi was being, but he finally let out the breath he had been holding in as Wakatoshi nodded his head. “If that’s what you truly want, then I will support you no matter what.”

Satori squeaked and threw himself against Wakatoshi, quickly pulling away as Usagi cried out from the motion. “Aha, Mama’s sorry, Chibi-Usa,” he quietly crooned against Usagi’s ear in an attempt to calm his daughter down. The little girl finally pulled her face out of Satori’s shoulder, pouting before squealing suddenly.

Satori’s fingers were quickly tickling at Usagi’s sides and the cub was squirming and crying out. “Noooo, Mama! Don’ do dat!” Satori’s heart swelled at the happy cries and shrieks, to hear his daughter so happy.

“Ah, that’s right, you had something to tell me, didn’tcha?” He had been so excited to tell Wakatoshi about his epiphany that he had completely railroaded over whatever it was he wanted to talk to Satori about.

Wakatoshi shook his head, appearing resigned as he spoke up. “It is nothing important. I’m happy that you’ve decided on what is best for yourself and Usagi.”

It was at that moment that Usagi decided to pry herself away from her mother, reaching her arms out to Wakatoshi. The Alpha took the cub into his arms without question, holding her close in a protective manner. Satori thought he would melt on the spot at the scene. Usagi and Wakatoshi just looked so comfortable and happy when they were together, that Satori knew he made the right decision in not pursuing the knowledge of who had sired his daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say this is probably the chapter I like the least? Like, I wrote it out, and I don't know that there's anything I like about it? Blah, I've had a rough week so I apologize for producing this crappy chapter. I was in a small car accident yesterday and I've been in a foul mood ever since. Not injured, but it's just really put me in a somewhat depressed state. :( 
> 
> Also, there's now a set number of chapters left on the story! Thank y'all for sticking with me and I hope y'all continue to enjoy until the very end. Trust me, there's still plenty of angst and the big reveal is coming verrrrrrry soon. <3
> 
> Find me on tumblr and tell me how heartless of an author I am~


	22. I Love You, But...

The envelope in Wakatoshi’s hands couldn’t have weighed more than a few ounces, but right then, it was the heaviest piece of material in the world to the Alpha.

The day after his mother confessed what had happened between he and Satori, Wakatoshi made an appointment with the local hospital and had completed a paternity test to find out once and for all if he was indeed Usagi’s sire. Usagi hadn’t fussed and the staff told him that it would be a few weeks before the results were in, and now…

His hands began to shake and he tried to force himself to snap out of the nervous state he was in. Inside this envelope was the answer to the question that had plagued his mind for several weeks, and he was too terrified to open it and read the contents inside. He had to breathe, had to calm down and just open the damn envelope, that’s all there was to it.

He was alone in his apartment, and nearby was a half-empty glass of alcohol. Wakatoshi reached over and grabbed the glass, lifting it to his lips and gulping the contents down in one swallow. Taking a deep breath, he quickly tore open the top of the envelope before he could lose courage and pulled out the papers that were inside. His eyes quickly scanned over the words, feeling his heart sink into his stomach as he reached the bottom of the page.

_“In regards to Ushijima Wakatoshi (Alpha): it has been determined that the Alpha in question is a 99.999% biological match to the female child, Tendou Usagi (secondary gender not yet determined). Any possibility of another Alpha siring the cub in question is 1 in 1.4 trillion. For all further questions, please contact the facility at…”_

Wakatoshi stopped reading, felt the papers fall from his grasp and watched in silence as they scattered around his feet in a haphazard fashion. So that was it… There was absolutely no question that the one night he shared with Satori had resulted in Wakatoshi impregnating the Omega. His instincts howled with pride at the fact that it was him, and only him that had fathered Usagi. Usagi was his daughter, and no one could ever take her away from him!

But now that he had found out the truth, how could he face Satori now? How could he explain the results of the paternity test and ever hope that Satori could forgive him? Wakatoshi felt sick to his stomach just thinking about what he had possibly done to his friend in the throes of his rut, and if he were Satori, he would never forgive him. He couldn’t forgive himself even now, even considering the circumstances of that night.

It didn’t take long for his thoughts to drift to Usagi, to his daughter. He couldn’t help but crack a weak smile at the thought of his adorable cub, how much she loved him and didn’t even know that he was her sire. Or perhaps her instincts had always known that her Wawa was her sire? Wakatoshi wasn’t sure, but all he could think about was how could he ever face the little girl and explain to her what he had done to her mother the night she had been conceived?

How could they ever be a real family with the truth of everything that had happened? It was true that Usagi was young now, but someday she would grow up, and maybe start to ask questions of her parents…

He swallowed hard before burying his face in his hands. Wakatoshi had no one to blame but himself for everything that had happened, and he knew he couldn’t continue to hide the truth from Satori. The Omega deserved better than that from Wakatoshi, especially now that there was a true link between them, their daughter.

Wakatoshi knew that he needed help, advice from someone else on what to do in this situation. His instincts were telling him to run to his Omega and tell him everything, but Wakatoshi didn’t want to rush into telling Satori the truth and possibly ruin ever having his family with him.

He took a deep breath and let his fingers hit the contact in his phone, waiting for the person on the other end to pick up. “Ah, hello,” he cleared his throat. “This is Wakatoshi. I know we haven’t spoken in some time, but… I felt that I really needed to talk to someone. I’ve found myself in a situation where I don’t know what the right thing to do is.”

 

* * *

 

“Mama!” Usagi released a high-pitched shriek, tugging on her mother’s pant leg. “Wan’ ice ceem!”

Satori glanced down at his daughter, her lower lip poked out in the usual pout she wore when she didn’t get what she wanted right then when she said she wanted it. He chuckled and reached a hand to ruffle her hair. “Not right now, Chibi-Usa. We gotta eat dinner first, then if you’re a good girl you can have all the ice cream you want after!”

That seemed to placate the cub for the time being and she happily made her way back into the living room. It was shortly after this that a loud knock came from the door and Usagi’s head shot up.

Satori tried his hardest not to grin, instead inclining his head toward the door. “Well, I wonder who could that possibly be? Any ideas, Usagi?”

Usagi’s eyes were wide as saucers and she quickly hurried to the door, standing on tiptoes as she tried to reach for the doorknob. Satori chuckled as he wiped his hands, padding to the door before unlocking and opening it.

“Wawa!” Usagi shrieked happily, shoving past her mother and throwing her arms around Wakatoshi’s legs. “Wawa, ah missed ‘oo!” Wakatoshi quickly leaned down, smiling down at the cub before scooping her up into his arms. He placed a kiss to the top of her head and Usagi giggled. “Wawa,” she gave him a very Satori-like smile. “Mama say I can ‘ave ice ceem! ‘Oo can ‘ave some too!”

“That is a very generous offer, Usagi,” Wakatoshi nodded his head once. “Perhaps after dinner, we can enjoy some ice cream together.”

“Otay!” Usagi’s arms wound around Wakatoshi’s neck, happy with the response she received. She quickly recounted the events of her day, informing the Alpha of all she had done while at daycare, how Mika-san had put one boy in timeout for shoving another boy, and she and her friend Taka had finger painted but they had gotten really messy. Wakatoshi silently nodded his head, murmuring his opinion every few minutes just to let Usagi know he was indeed listening to her every word.

“Dinner’s ready!” Both Alpha and cub blinked at one another and Usagi squirmed, trying to get out of Wakatoshi’s lap in order to help her mother set the table.

“Ah help, Mama!”

“You sure can,” he chirped happily while pulling a chair out for Usagi to crawl up on, letting her help by putting silverware by each place setting. Usagi was proud of her handiwork, puffing her chest out as Satori crooned and fussed over his daughter, and soon it was time for everyone to sit and begin eating.

But Usagi began to fuss when her mother tried to put her in her booster seat and Wakatoshi calmly told Usagi she should listen to her mother, that the booster was there to help keep her safe from falling and once she heard the Alpha gently admonish her, she sighed dramatically but didn’t fuss about it anymore.

Satori tried his damndest not to swoon right there, but it was really hard when the Alpha that was courting him was being such a kind, loving father figure toward his daughter. In his mind, seeing the way Wakatoshi interacted with Usagi solidified the important piece of news that he was about to tell Wakatoshi.

Once everyone had a serving on their plate, Satori cleared his throat and waited for Wakatoshi to give him attention he was craving right then. “Sooooo,” he slowly began, trying his hardest not to fidget in his seat. “I’ve been thinking.”

Wakatoshi’s head bobbed up and down in a slow nod and Satori took this as an indication to continue. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while now, right?” His lips slowly curved up as he watched Wakatoshi’s head turn slightly to the side. Satori took a deep breath. “Well, I decided that I’m gonna stop taking my suppressants. Annnnnd once I have a heat cycle, I want you to share it with me!”

This was it, Wakatoshi would smile and graciously accept Satori’s offer, then in a few months when he had his first heat in years Satori would be wrapped in the arms of his Alpha, and… And why wasn’t Wakatoshi responding at all? In fact, it looked like he was about to be sick, and that wasn’t what Satori wanted at all.

Maybe Wakatoshi didn’t really want to be with him like he had first thought?

He laughed nervously, reaching a hand out to gently push at Wakatoshi’s shoulder. “Hey Wakkun, you alright?”

It was then that Wakatoshi was shaken out of whatever stupor he had been experiencing. The Alpha shook his head and the look he gave Satori was pained. “Satori, I would love nothing more than to share your next heat with you.”

Satori’s inner Omega howled in victory. At last he would finally have Wakatoshi all to himself!

“But I must decline… I’m afraid I don’t deserve to be your mate in any way,” Wakatoshi murmured quietly, gaze turned down while Satori stared at him with wide eyes. “I don’t deserve to be around you or Usagi at all.”

What the hell was he talking about? Didn’t deserve Satori? That was insane! “Wakatoshi-kun,” Satori tried to speak up only to stop upon seeing Wakatoshi silently push a large envelope to him.

“Please read what is inside, you will see why I cannot share your heat with you,” was all Wakatoshi said. Satori frowned before giving a disgruntled snort, snatching the parcel off the table and pulling the top open. This was so stupid, why was Wakatoshi refusing him? If he honestly wanted Satori, then what the hell was he possibly thinking?!

At first, Satori didn’t see anything that should be of concern to him, but as he continued to read the paper…

“Th-This is a joke, right Wakkun?” Satori tried to laugh, but the sound came out strangled and weak. “Tell me it’s a prank.” His head whipped up, but Wakatoshi refused to meet his gaze. He was finding it harder to breathe with each passing second and Satori forced himself to look at the words on the paper, no, the paternity test.

The words on the paper were ones Satori just couldn’t believe. How could he have slept with Wakatoshi and not remember a damn thing? How was it that Wakatoshi wouldn’t tell him that there was a chance he had been the one to sire Usagi? When Wakatoshi first found out Satori was pregnant, he hadn’t mentioned anything about having slept with Satori himself, so how, why…

“Satori, there’s nothing I can do or say to atone for my actions that night,” his voice was different. “I honestly have no memory of what I had done to you, but my mother said when I brought you to our family home, I went into a rut.” Wakatoshi licked at his lips, seeming to be at a temporary loss for words. “I… I was told that I, while you were severely intoxicated and in the most severe part of your heat, I… You and I, we…” Had Satori still not been completely shocked by everything he had just been told, he would have found Wakatoshi’s nervousness completely adorable.

“I knotted you.” And boy did Wakatoshi look completely ashamed to tell Satori that.

Satori watched Wakatoshi’s every action, listened to every word, and inside he was elated even though he didn’t want to be happy about this. For so long, he had imagined what it would be like had Wakatoshi been the one to impregnate him, but now, now that this was being thrown into his lap, he wasn’t sure what to do or what to think.

“Mama?”

Satori’s head snapped up to find Usagi’s eyes, wide and doe-eyed, staring right at him. He quickly smiled and pulled Usagi out of her booster seat, quietly murmuring for her to go color in the living room and wait for him and Wawa to join her.

Once she was effectively distracted, Satori once again turned to Wakatoshi. “H-How… Hell, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now,” he laughed weakly. “You’ve just told me a helluva lot right now, Wakatoshi-kun.” And Satori wanted to tell Wakatoshi that he was happy, thrilled even with the results of this paternity test, but he just couldn’t. “I don’t really know… Damn,” he tried to keep his composure, but it was becoming harder and harder to do so. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

“Satori,” Wakatoshi tried to reach out to the Omega, but Satori jerked back.

“Ahahaha, this is too much,” Satori jumped out of his chair, his nerves finally getting the better of him. “I mean, on one hand, maybe this is destiny and maybe we’re supposed to just be one big happy family now, but…”

“You are angry that I took advantage of you in such a state,” Wakatoshi surmised. “I know I no longer feel worthy of being near you since finding out what I did.”

Satori’s head quickly shook back and forth. “No no no, it isn’t that!” And it surprised Satori how true it was. The more he thought it, the more he realized that he honestly didn’t mind that it had happened when they were both so obviously out of it, but it was all just so much to take in at once. “I just,” he took a deep breath, unable to believe what he was about to say. “I need some time to think this over. I mean, you just told me that you’re the one that got me pregnant. The hell, Wakatoshi-kun!” He tried to laugh and show Wakatoshi that everything would be fine in the end, once Satori was able to wrap his mind around everything that happened.

The Alpha stayed silent for several beats, finally giving a quick nod before pushing himself away from the table. His steps took him toward Usagi and he gently pulled the cub into his arms. “I have to leave now, but you will be good for your mother, won’t you?”

Usagi blinked amber eyes at her father before nodding once. “Uh-huh, ah be good!” Wakatoshi chuckled and kissed the top of her crown of bright, red hair before placing the little girl back to her feet.

Satori frowned and reached out to grab the Alpha’s arm. “Hey, Wakkun…”

Wakatoshi gently tugged himself free from Satori’s grip, quickly winding his arms around the Omega and inhaling his scent. “Satori, I know what I did to you is unforgivable, and were I you, I would tell me that I no longer wanted me in your life.”

“H-Hey, I don’t-”

“I care far too much for you to ever want to cause you discomfort of any kind.”

“And I really love you too, but you’ve gotta-”

“Satori,” Wakatoshi’s arms tightened. “Perhaps it would be best if we were no longer seeing one another.”

Satori felt his heart squeeze at those words. Surely he wasn’t serious? “W-Wait, Wakatoshi, you don’t need to do that!” No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be!

As Wakatoshi let Satori go, the redhead could see how red Wakatoshi’s eyes were, how close to losing it he was. “I… I’m afraid I can’t be the cause of any-”

“I don’t care! Wakatoshi, you can’t just say that we should end things! You’re overreacting!” Okay, now Satori was getting pissed. He couldn’t understand why Wakatoshi was being so, so… “Stupid!” He furiously wiped at his eyes, wanting nothing more than to lash out and punch the Alpha.

“Satori, I am so sorry.”

“Y-Yeah you are!” Satori hiccupped, growling, actually growling at Wakatoshi.

“I,” the Alpha looked helplessly from Satori down to Usagi who was now whimpering and reaching her arms out for one of them to pick her up. “I just can’t, not after everything I’ve done…”

“Fine!” Satori snarled, storming to the door before flinging it open. “You don’t want us? Then you can go!”

Gold eyes widened slightly. “Satori, that isn’t what I meant at all. I merely thought it would be what you would want.”

“Well, it sure seems like that’s what you meant! And who are you to decide what it is I want?!”  

“Satori…”

“Just go!” He didn’t even look up to see the pained look he knew Wakatoshi would be wearing. All Satori had ever wanted since being courted by Wakatoshi was to have the three of them be a family, but now, now Wakatoshi had decided he didn’t want him or their daughter.

Oh.

Oh. Their daughter. Usagi was crying now, refusing to be ignored any longer as she threw herself against her mother. Satori leaned down and quickly picked her up, cradling the sniffling cub against his shoulder.

“Satori,” Wakatoshi was exiting the apartment when he stopped. “I’m sorry for my actions that night, but know that I’m not sorry for being part of yours and Usagi’s lives. I love you both, more than I can ever hope to convey to you. That’s why I hope you see that you both deserve a better Alpha than I am.”

With a last, longing look toward Usagi, Wakatoshi left and quietly shut the door behind him. Satori buried his face in his daughter’s hair, trying his best to be strong for her. They would be fine, they had been alright this long, so they could definitely take care of themselves for as long as they needed to.

He just had to fight that urge telling him to run after his Alpha, to make him come back and stay with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it, the big reveal and everyone's heartbroken now! I believe my work here is done for this week. ;) 
> 
> Next chapter will be the last chapter that is really plot-driven and we'll find out if there's an actual happy ending for our favorite pair. 
> 
> Thank you all for being so patient with me while I've had family health issues to deal with the past couple of weeks! Hmu on tumblr if you wanna chat about Shiratorizawa or anything else that tickles your fancy!


	23. I Realize There's Just No Getting Over You

Satori didn’t hear from Wakatoshi for several weeks after the big reveal, nor did he reach out to the Alpha. It was back to the usual daily grind and he couldn’t ignore his work, but his thoughts were on Wakatoshi constantly, as much as he hated it.

It had gotten so bad that he had even called back home and asked his own _mother_ for advice.

“I just don’t know what to do,” he wailed pathetically.

_“Satori,”_ his mother, weak and obviously in the last stretch of her life had chuckled. _“It’s obvious how much that Ushijima boy cares about you, and if he really did sire your daughter, then you two will always be drawn to one another. I’d give him some time to come to his senses and realize what he could possibly lose, but you’ll need to be open to hearing everything he’s got to say as well. Love, it’s not an easy thing, but it can be the greatest joy you’ll ever find if you find a mate you love enough and who returns that love wholeheartedly.”_

So, he was trying to give Wakatoshi the space he needed, but it was so hard not to grab his phone and call Wakatoshi, tell him he loved him and didn’t care that he had gotten Satori pregnant and hadn’t realized that he was the one to do it.

Satori sighed and let his head fall forward with a soft thud.

“You look like you’ve seen better days.”

His head flops to one side and he cracked an eye open to find Suga giving him a sympathetic smile. He grumbled under his breath and his arms moved to cover his face again. He just wasn’t in the mood for any kind of joking around, no matter how much he wanted to feel better.

There was a sigh. “Come on, Satori,” Suga’s fingers carded through Satori’s hair, trying to give a soothing touch to the Omega. “You can’t just give up like this. Why don’t you try calling Ushijima-san? I’m sure he misses you just as much as you miss him. And didn’t you say that Usagi missed Ushijima too?”

Satori didn’t say anything, but Koushi was right. Usagi always looked to the door now in the evenings, always asked her mother when her Wawa was coming over to see her, and it killed Satori for him to have to inform Usagi that Wawa wasn’t coming over anytime soon. Usagi would always plop down and bawl her eyes out, screaming how much she wanted to see her Wawa. This had happened every night ever since Wakatoshi left Satori’s apartment.

Satori understood completely how much she missed the Alpha all too well.

“Satori-san?”

Satori shot up at hearing an all-too familiar voice, giving a slow blink as he took in the sight of Sakusa Kiyoomi standing in front of the nurse’s station. “Kiyo-kun?” What the hell was he doing here?

The Alpha appeared to be visibly relieved from behind his mask. He quickly shook his head and motioned to the end of the hall. “There isn’t much time to explain, but you need to come with us to the airport.”

“Hah?” What was he going on about? He couldn’t just leave his job for… Well, he didn’t even know what for! “What’re you talking about?” Satori huffed, cheeks puffed out in ire.

“Wakatoshi-san is planning on leaving for the U.S. this afternoon. You’ve got to talk to him, talk him into staying here in Japan.”

At first, Satori thought that maybe Kiyoomi was joking, because why would Wakatoshi leave? It just didn’t make any sense, but the longer Satori watched Kiyoomi, the more he felt that fear take hold of his heart. “Wait, wait, wait,” Satori held a hand up to show that Kiyoomi needed to stop talking right then. “Start from the beginning, what’re you talking about?”

Kiyoomi let out a deep breath, no trace of joking whatsoever that Satori could sense. “From what I understand, Wakatoshi-san has received an offer from the American team, and he’s flying over there to take the spot he’s been offered. You’re the only one we can think of that could possibly talk him out of this.”

A sense of dread slowly creeped its way into Satori’s spine upon hearing this bit of news. Wakatoshi wouldn’t do that, there was just no way! He loved his spot on the men’s team, and he had so much to keep him there in Japan… But the longer Satori thought about it, he slowly began to realize that maybe their last meeting with one another had been the reason for Wakatoshi to even consider leaving to join another team.

What if Satori’s reaction to learning that Wakatoshi was Usagi’s sire had driven the Alpha away? He couldn’t lose Wakatoshi, he had to find him and convince him to stay!

“Where is he now?” Satori was suddenly desperate. Kiyoomi’s gentle grasp pulled on his arm, leading him down the hall toward the elevators.

“He’s already at the airport. We’ll need to get there as soon as we possibly can if we want to stop him before he boards his flight.”

“Suga!” Satori craned his head around to get the Beta’s attention. “I’m sorry, but I need you to cover for me here! And pick Usagi up from Mika-chan’s this afternoon!”

The Beta only seemed too happy to agree to this, giving his Omegan friend a thumb’s up as Satori was dragged away. Kiyoomi was quietly telling him how Wakatoshi had changed over the past several weeks, that he had been even quieter than usual and was obviously not taking care of himself as he should have been. It physically hurt to hear that Wakatoshi had been so affected by everything that had happened, and Satori would do anything to keep the Alpha in his and Usagi’s lives. Anything at all.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

“Oh. Well, this is new…” The redhead found himself staring at one of the team’s vans, Bokuto at the wheel and Sawamura, Oikawa, and Kuroo all sitting in the back.

“For the record,” Daichi starts slowly. “I am totally against this harebrained scheme.”

“That’s nice, Dadchi, but we’ve gotta get Tendou to Ushiwaka. If you’ve got any better solutions then I’m all ears,” Kuroo gives Daichi a sardonic grin and chooses to ignore the glower he receives in return.

As much as he wanted to find Wakatoshi, Satori couldn’t help but feel unease as Bokuto patted the passenger’s seat in the van in an attempt to entice him to jump in.

 

* * *

 

“Hurry up! We’ll never catch him before his plane leaves at this rate!”

Bokuto huffed and glanced at his teammates from over his shoulder. “I’m goin’ as fast as I can,” he whined. “These team vans don’t go all that fast!”

Satori’s eyes widened and his arm shot out, pointing at something beyond the windshield. “There! We’re at the airport finally!”

Everyone shrieked and cried out, nearly being flung out of their seats as Bokuto slammed on the brakes. Once he got to his feet again, Satori threw the van door open and sprinted for the entrance. He couldn’t be too late, he just couldn’t let Wakatoshi leave without telling him everything that was on his heart! His eyes scanned all the signs with the flights on them until he finally saw the flight to the U.S. was scheduled to begin boarding in just a few minutes. He still had time! He just had to run as fast as he could in order to make it to the terminal!

“Hey, stop! You can’t go back there without a ticket!”

Satori suddenly found his path blocked by a pair of airport security guards, and just like that all seemed to be lost. He didn’t have time to buy a ticket now, and if these guards didn’t move, then Wakatoshi would already be on the plane! “Please,” he begged. “There’s someone about to board the flight to America, I-I have to tell him something! It’ll only take a minute, I swear!”

One of the men shook his head, reaching out to grab Satori’s arm. “No can do. Without a ticket, we can’t let you go anywhere beyond this point.”

Satori’s heart clenched behind his ribcage. Was this really the end? Was Wakatoshi going to leave he and Usagi behind for good now?

“HYAHHHH!”

Satori’s head snapped up and his jaw hung open as he watched both Kuroo and Bokuto tackle the guards to the ground. “Wh-Wha…”

Sakusa pointed toward the terminals. “Hurry! Go get your Alpha! We’ll make sure to keep security occupied!”

Bless Kiyoomi, he was far too kind for his own good. The redhead gave a wide grin and nodded before turning on his heel, running as fast as he could to the terminal. He kept telling himself that he was going to make it and that he would get Wakatoshi to listen to him and make him see that there was no need to leave, that he wanted the Alpha to be part of his and Usagi’s family. Satori nearly skid to a stop, looking through all the individuals that were in line to board the plane until he finally saw the back of Wakatoshi’s head.

And he was set to board the plane next.

“Wakatoshi!”

The Alpha didn’t appear to hear him as he handed his ticket to the airline employee to scan. Once he had scanned the ticket, Wakatoshi hoisted his carry-on bag on his shoulder and began to make his way down the long hall.

“Wakatoshi! No, wait! Come back!” Satori tried his hardest to get his attention, but as he watched Wakatoshi disappear, he realized that it was finally over. Wakatoshi hadn’t heard him, and now he was going to join another team on another continent… Satori wanted to throw up at how sick he felt by the entire situation. What was he going to do now? How could he possibly explain to Usagi that her Wawa, her father whom she loved so much, was gone for good?

Satori heard a loud sigh behind him and glanced around to find Oikawa right there, rolling his eyes. “You’d better be glad I don’t hate you as much as I used to,” he muttered under his breath before storming to the front around the line of people. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “USHIWAKA! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, SO YOU’D BETTER MARCH YOUR ASS BACK HERE PRONTO!”

Satori, along with everyone within hearing distance, winced at the high-pitched shriek. He gave Oikawa a weak smile and shook his head, resigned to his fate. “I appreciate it, I really do, but I don’t think-”

“Oikawa? What are you doing here? You knew that I was set to leave for my flight and now…”

Wakatoshi stopped the moment he saw Satori. Oikawa nudged the redhead forward, and Satori stared at Wakatoshi in silence. He gave a weak smile and wiggled his fingers before laughing nervously. The Alpha’s eyes widened slightly and he excused himself, getting out of line in order to find out what was going on.

“Satori, what-”

“Before you say anything, lemme talk first,” Satori was speaking rapidly, not giving Wakatoshi a chance to say anything in that moment. “Look, I’ll admit when you first dropped that big surprise on me, I was a little freaked out.” The Omega fidgeted in place, hands toying with themselves. “But I never once wanted you to leave us. Never! Usagi and I, we both love you so much, Wakatoshi-kun. I don’t blame you for what happened either, how could I when I was drunk off my ass and begging for you to knot me?”

Wakatoshi opened his mouth, ready to speak when Satori interrupted him again. “I mean, if you don’t want us, that’d be one thing, but I always pictured the three of us as one, big happy family, even before we found out that you’re the one that knocked me up.” Satori quietly reached for Wakatoshi’s hands with his own. “And I still want that. I’ve always wanted you, and I’ll always want you. Only you. So please,” he took a deep shuddering breath. “D-Don’t leave us, don’t go join another volleyball team halfway across the planet just because you feel guilty about what happened that night. Stay with us, please?” The last word was a whisper, and Wakatoshi stayed eerily silent for several long moments. Satori was worried he might have done the wrong thing, when Wakatoshi’s arms reached out and wound around Satori.

“Satori,” he growled lowly, nuzzling his face against the redhead’s neck. “Satori, I’ll never be able to undo what I’ve done, but… If you still want me, then I would be honored if you would have me as your Alpha. And for Usagi to call me her father.”

Satori buried his face against Wakatoshi’s shirt in a weak attempt to hide his happy sobs. “N-Now you don’t hafta leave us. You can come right home with me, an-and we can tell Usagi that you’re her dad, and…”

Wakatoshi slowly pulled away from Satori, hands firmly grasping the Omega’s shoulders. A frown marred Wakatoshi’s features and he slowly shook his head. “I’m afraid I cannot cancel my flight, I must take this trip first, but then I will be coming back to Japan.”

“But I thought…” Why was Wakatoshi still planning on going on this trip? He should be over joyed to be able to go home with Tendou, not insisting on going on this dumb trip still. “If you don’t wanna leave us, then why’re you still going to join another team?”

Wakatoshi’s frown only deepened at this, brow furrowing as well. “Satori, I’m afraid I have no idea what are you talking about. I’ve never planned on joining another country’s volleyball team.”

Wait, what?

“I informed our team that I was going to go on a small trip, to visit my father who’s currently living in America.”

Wait…

“I had called him the moment I received the results that said I was Usagi’s father. He tried to give me some sound advice by telling me to tell you the truth first, and if you didn’t have a positive reaction, to give you some space and time to think everything over. In the meantime, he invited me to come visit him in the U.S. and I had always planned on coming back within two weeks time.”

Satori blinked once, then twice before he whirled around and turned an accusing glare toward Oikawa. “You-You liars! You all told me he was leaving for good!”

Oikawa studied his nails, appearing nonplussed by this turn of events. “Would you have come along had we not told you he was going away forever?”

“That’s not-!”

“Trust me, Sato-chan,” Oikawa sniffed as he smoothly cut into Satori’s sentence. “It was for the good of both of you. We just couldn’t take Ushiwaka’s moping around at practice anymore! And from what we heard you weren’t doing so well either.”

Satori spluttered, finding it more and more difficult to stay mad at his fellow Omega. The more he thought about it, he realized that if they all hadn’t meddled, then he and Wakatoshi wouldn’t have reconciled. But there was still the matter that Wakatoshi would be gone for an entire two weeks.

“I guess I’ll miss you while you’re gone,” he muttered, giving the Alpha a weak smile.

Wakatoshi shook his head, seeming unhappy at the prospect of leaving his Omega behind. “I could try and call my father, tell him I simply cannot make the trip this time.” He reached for Satori’s hands, gently rubbing circles on the backs of his hands. “Perhaps one day we can take a trip, you, me and Usagi, and you both could meet him. I know he was anxious to meet both you and his granddaughter.”

Satori’s lips curved up. “I’d love nothing more than to meet your dad, Wakkun.” And he meant it. He was thrilled at the idea of meeting Wakatoshi’s father, bringing their daughter on a trip with them, Satori absolutely loved the thought of their little family being together for a trip like that.

“Or you could all just go ahead and make the trip.”

Say what now?

“MAMA!” Satori jerked around, a little gasp escaping at the sight of his daughter squealing and waving madly at him from where she sat in Sugawara’s arms. She gasped upon seeing Wakatoshi and began to beat a chubby hand against Koushi’s arm. “An’ Wawa too! It Wawa, Tuga!”

Wakatoshi appeared just as surprised as Satori was when Suga offered their still-squealing daughter to her mother. “What is…”

“Well,” Suga slowly began, eyes twinkling while he wore the biggest grin ever. “When we all got together and came up with this little idea to bring you two back together, I thought to myself, _‘now what kind of trip would Ushijima have if he can’t have his family right there with him?’_ and voila! We went ahead and bought tickets for both Tendou and Usagi!” And with a flourish only Suga could have, he produced two tickets from one of the pockets of his scrub top. “This is where you say thank you.”

“But…” Satori was at a complete loss for words. He studied the tickets hard, and realized that they were for the same flight as Wakatoshi’s. Wait, were they on the same row too?

“And we also went ahead and packed bags for you as well!” Suga moved slightly to one side, revealing two rolling suitcases, one larger one and one smaller pink one.

“It was my idea,” Oikawa skulked, but there was the faint outline of a small smile across his lips, though he would completely deny such a thing. “So now there’s really nothing keeping you all here and taking your trip.”

Satori honestly couldn’t believe it. How was it that everything was finally falling into place? Things like this never happened for him, but…

“Mama?”

Reddish eyes glanced down and stared into his daughter’s own bright orb, (the same as Wakatoshi’s) and Satori smiled warmly, kissing his daughter’s forehead. Wakatoshi’s arm wound itself around Satori’s shoulder. “Satori? Is this something you would like to do? Would you and Usagi accompany me on my trip?”

Satori could see the pleading in Wakatoshi’s amber eyes, the fear that Satori would reject him and change his mind. Well, he’d have to remedy that, now wouldn’t he? The Omega slipped a free hand up to tug on Wakatoshi’s head, guiding him into a gentle kiss. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening, that Wakatoshi was here in his arms as he should have been from the beginning and they now had their daughter with them.

“You big doof,” he chuckled against the Alpha’s lips. “I’d love nothing more than to go with you on this trip, and every trip from now on. We’re a family, and you’ll have to try pretty damn hard to get rid of us now.”

He could sense the relief in Wakatoshi, and honestly, he was pretty damn relieved too.

“So what’re we waiting for, Miracle Boy?” Satori’s grin was infectious as he gently tugged on Wakatoshi’s arm. “We’d better get a move on if we don’t wanna miss our flight!”

 

* * *

 

_One week later…_

“KEIJI! Keiji, you’re never gonna believe it!” Bokuto squawked as he shoved his phone in his mate’s face.

“K-Koutarou, not now,” the raven-haired Omega hissed through clenched teeth.

“But look!”

There on Bokuto’s Instagram, was a picture shared from Tendou’s Instagram account. It was a picture of Tendou and Ushijima staring into the phone, Tendou grinning from ear to ear while Ushijima wore a stoic, impassive look. They both held their hands up, and on each of their left hands was a solid gold band adorning their ring fingers.

The caption on the picture was something only Tendou could come up with: _This guy stole my heart! So I’ve taken the ultimate revenge by stealing his name!_

Keiji smiled weakly before wincing and clutching at his belly. “I-I am very happy for them Koutarou, but… This is _not_ the right time.”

“But Keiji,” Bokuto whined.

“Koutarou,” the Omega finally snapped, eyes blazing. “I am in active labor in the hospital! Why would you think it would be okay to distract me now?!”

The Alpha wilted and laughed nervously, seeming to remember all of a sudden why they were there at the hospital. “Eheheh, s-sorry Keiji…”

 

* * *

 

“Oh.” Kenma murmured as he stared at the notification on his phone.

“What? What is it? Is it our pup? Has something happened?” Suddenly Kuroo was at his mate’s side, eyes wide and fear-filled as he hovered over Kenma.

Kenma gave a small smile and shook his head. “No,” he quietly offered the phone to his mate and silently rubbed his slightly swollen stomach while watching the Alpha. “I’m happy for Satori and Wakatoshi.”

Kuroo let out a sigh of relief upon realizing nothing was seriously wrong, grinning down at his mate before carefully easing himself onto the sofa so as not to jostle Kenma or the baby. “Yeah, good for them. I’m glad they finally got their shit together,” he chuckled and let his hand gently run through Kenma’s black locks. He gently placed a kiss to his mate’s temple and watched as Kenma quickly wrote out a text, congratulating Tendou on his marriage.

 

* * *

 

“IWA-CHAN!”

Hajime winced before glancing over his shoulder, their son staring up at his mother with wide eyes. “Tooru, what the hell are you-”

“That damn Ushiwaka! He had to go and get married while he’s on vacation!”

Hajime and Takato blinked before glancing at one another. “Tooru,” Hajime sighed while mentally preparing himself for the barrage of complaints he knew was coming.

“How dare they?! And here I was going to offer them my superb wedding planning services once they were ready to tie the knot!”

“Yeah, those poor souls. Whatever will they do now,” Hajime muttered before smiling at his now-giggling son.

 

* * *

 

“Satori, what are you doing?”

The redhead’s head shot up and he grinned, waving his phone around. “Looks like my Instagram post was a hit! We’re getting all kinds of compliments from everyone back home!”

Wakatoshi hummed noncommittally before turning his attention to his sleeping daughter. So far, the trip had been a success. Wakatoshi had been reunited with his father after many years apart, and after the happy reunion, Wakatoshi introduced his mate and daughter to his father. Takashi had been nothing short of ecstatic to meet Satori and his granddaughter and had playfully teased his son about when he could expect another grandpup.

It was all just so wonderful to be able to enjoy themselves as a complete family, that Wakatoshi couldn’t help himself as he proposed marriage to Satori one night after a romantic dinner. Satori just looked so beautiful in the candlelight as he wiped food off Usagi’s face and laughed at something funny the cub said, Wakatoshi couldn’t help but give an impromptu proposal that neither he nor Satori were prepared for. Satori, of course, had gleefully accepted the quick proposal and insisted that they get married right away the next morning. So they did, and right after they were married, Satori insisted on going to Disney World. He claimed it was so Usagi could enjoy a once in a lifetime experience, but Wakatoshi suspected it was more for Satori’s benefit than their daughter’s…

After a long day of watching her parents get married and then touring around Disney World, their little girl was completely wiped out. She got her bath once they returned to their hotel room, got her feeted pajamas on and nearly fell asleep face first in her dinner. Satori got it all on video of course.

His attention turned to the gold band on his finger next and Wakatoshi couldn’t help but smile softly as his mind went over the events of the day. He soon felt arms wind around the back of his neck and a kiss to his head.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Satori quietly murmured against the shell of his ear.

The answer came without pause. “How happy I am.” And he was. Wakatoshi was the happiest he had ever been in his life, and he couldn’t wait to see what would come next for him and his family.

“Same,” Satori’s eyes softened as he focused on Usagi, still asleep in Wakatoshi’s arms. “So happy,” he whispered, reaching a finger out to caress Usagi’s cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHH! What's this? A happy ending for UshiTen?? Say it ain't so! Ohh but it is! ;) Don't worry, we still have two more chapters that will focus on UshiTen officially mating and bonding, Usagi growing up throughout the years, and then an epilogue! 
> 
> I cannot thank y'all enough for sticking with this story, because if it weren't for all the comments and kudos, I probably would have gotten frustrated and given up along the way. So again, thank each and every one of you so very much! 
> 
> Hmu on tumblr and scream about this crazy chapter, or about haikyuu in general!


	24. I'm Taken With a Notion, To Love You With the Sweetest of Devotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of mating and bonding which includes non-graphic smut. (At least I don't think it's all that graphic.) If you want to skip over it, then I suggest skipping the middle portion of the chapter. Thanks!

All was quiet in the Ushijima household, until a piercing cry cut through the air. “Daddy!”

Wakatoshi felt his heart swell at the sound of that sweet, two-syllable word. He turned his attention to the grinning cub at his feet, her fingers curled tightly in the fabric of Wakatoshi’s gym pants as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. Hearing that one word never failed to put a smile to his face, and if there was one thing Wakatoshi loved, it was being Usagi’s daddy.

A year already had passed since he and Satori had claimed one another as mates, a year had passed since they were married, and in that year had come several big changes. Usagi turned three years old in the span of a year and Wakatoshi and Satori moved into Satori’s apartment, cementing their status as a family to all who might have had questions.

Wakatoshi was more than proud of his little family the way they were, but Satori constantly pestered Wakatoshi about finally bonding with him. Now the Alpha inside Wakatoshi wanted nothing more than to take Satori during one of his heats in the most intimate way possible, to have his Omega wear his mark proudly for all to see, but there was still something that held him back from finally bonding with Satori. He still felt shame over his actions the night Usagi had been conceived, and no amount of cajoling from Satori’s end was able to put his mind at ease.

Until now.

Satori was in the beginning stages of his heat, and while they had shared several heats in the past year, they had never bonded as many mated pairs would have done already. This time, something in Wakatoshi finally gave in and he had decided that this heat would be the one in which he would bond with his mate; whether it was the heady, hot scent his mate was giving off during his pre-heat, or the subtle hints Satori had been dropping all week, Wakatoshi wasn’t sure and now it really didn’t matter. His mind was made up, and unless Satori stated otherwise, this would be it.

“Daddy,” Usagi huffed, giving a very Satori-like pout at that moment. “’Ook at me, Daddy!” The little girl demanded her father’s attention right then and kept tugging on his leg in an effort to make him look at her.

Wakatoshi chuckled and knelt down so that he was eye level with his daughter. A hand gently placed itself atop fiery locks and Usagi was placated for the time being. “What is it, Usagi?”

“Whewe Mama at?” She gave her father a very solemn stare as she tried to extract the information she wanted from him. “I just wanna see Mama,” she pitifully whimpered, knowing just which buttons to push with her father. Satori had been holed up in their bedroom already for the past day while his heat got underway and Usagi was a sharp cub, she knew when something was amiss such as her mother’s absence.

“Your mother…” How did he even begin to explain just where Satori was and what was happening to him? Usagi was still far too young to completely understand what an Omega’s heat was.

“Your mama is feeling sick, but don’t worry. Your daddy has the right medicine to make him feel all better!”

Wakatoshi glanced up and found a grinning Sugawara winking down at him. He and Satori had asked the Beta and his mate if they would watch Usagi during Satori’s heat, to which the pair agreed with wholeheartedly.

Usagi’s eyes widened as her head whipped from Suga to her father. “Mama sick?”

“Your mama will be just fine, but guess what?” Usagi’s gaze turned to Suga, watching the Beta with rapt attention as she waited for him to continue. “You get to come home with me and Uncle Daichi until your mama is better!”

That seemed to get the cub’s attention. She gave Suga a small smile and put her hand in Suga’s own outstretched one.

“Are you certain that it’s no problem for you? I know that your household is quite crowded as it is.” And Wakatoshi wasn’t wrong. The Sawamura household had grown exponentially with the arrival of Daichi and Koushi’s triplets, born through surrogacy. The pups were still quite young, not quite six months old yet, but Suga quickly waved a dismissive hand at the Alpha as though waving away the Alpha’s concerns.

“Pshaw, if it were a problem then Daichi and I wouldn’t have offered to watch Usa-chan!”

The Alpha gave a small nod, accepting that what Sugawara said was the truth. It still didn’t help his feelings that his daughter would be gone for more than one night. Every previous heat that Satori had gone through, they had had Usagi close by and it seemed to soothe his Omegan instincts, but Wakatoshi wasn’t sure how his mate would react to not having Usagi in the house with him at all during this heat.

“Negativity begone!” And suddenly Wakatoshi felt a hard punch to his side, grunting at the impact and turning a harsh glare toward the Beta who was the cause of the punch. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Ushiwaka! Your little girl is in safe hands with me!”

For some reason, that didn’t seem to alleviate the Alpha’s fears at all, instead making him worry that maybe it would have been better to keep their daughter close by where he could watch her and make sure she wasn’t being corrupted…

 

* * *

 

“T-Toshi,” Satori whined and whimpered while he thrashed around on the bed. His lower lip had been bitten to the point where it was raw and split open in several places.

“You need to tell me just what it is that you want, Satori,” Wakatoshi’s voice came out as a low growl and no matter how many times Satori heard it, he would never tire of hearing his mate’s Alpha side coming through. “I cannot help you if you do not tell me what you need of me.”

Satori mewled while panting for breath. He managed to crack one eye half-open to find his mate staring him with a hard gaze. The Omega licked at parched lips before slowly crawling closer to his mate. Satori quickly crawled up into his mate’s lap, staring down at Wakatoshi with something akin to pure, unadulterated _hunger_.

“S-Silly, Wakatoshi-kun,” Satori purred, relishing in the way he felt Wakatoshi stiffen. He may have been half out of it due to his heat, but Satori was still coherent enough to take advantage of this situation. “You should know by now,” he leaned his head the tiniest bit closer to his mate’s. “All I’ll ever want or need… is _you_.”

The Omega let out a soft gasp as Wakatoshi quickly forced Satori to his back, bucking his hips against the redhead’s with hurried vigor. Satori threw his head back, quietly pleading for Wakatoshi to just go ahead and take him, fill him, claim him, bond, _bondbondbond_ …

Nails scored against the Alpha’s back, sure to leave angry, red welts in their wake, and then finally, _finally_ , Satori felt the familiar burn of his mate filling him, stretching him.

“You’re doing well, Satori,” and Satori nearly came just from the soft words of praise. He knew it wouldn’t be long, Wakatoshi would knot him soon and then… “How would you like it if I were to breed you right here and now?” A hand moved between them, rubbing circles atop Satori’s flat abdomen while Wakatoshi hummed. “You’d look so good carrying my pup again…” Satori whimpered. “And this time, I would make sure never to leave your side.”

Satori was putty in the Alpha’s hands, whining and pathetically pleading with his mate to touch him more and more. He’d do anything at that point to get his Alpha’s knot, to actually be impregnated again. He froze the moment he felt the sharp scrape of teeth brush against his scent gland. Satori wanted nothing more than for Wakatoshi to finally bond with him, but he didn’t dare assume anything.

There was another soft drag of canines against the side of his throat and Satori sobbed. “St-Stop teasing,” his words were slurred, and all he wanted was to bond with his Alpha and finally be able to wear his mark.

Wakatoshi placed a gentle kiss against the scent gland he had been scraping, inhaled his mate’s scent before pulling back to stare into Satori’s eyes. The Omega whined at the loss of contact and firmly planted his fingers against Wakatoshi’s skull in an attempt to pull him back down. He wanted to keep dragging things out, just to see the reactions he received from Satori, but Wakatoshi knew that his mate was on sensory overload and it wouldn’t be long before Satori came.

 Satori opened his mouth to ask Wakatoshi what was taking him so long, but before he could get anything out, Wakatoshi had buried his face against Satori’s neck.

“Are you sure you want this?”

Satori blinked, trying to prop himself up only to find he was far too weak to do anything. He tried to swallow but found his throat was dry. Silently, he bared his throat to Wakatoshi, hoping that would be enough of a confirmation for the Alpha.

It was quiet for several long moments and Satori was tempted to look at his mate to see just what was taking him so long when he heard a low snarl quickly followed by the pressure of the bite against his throat.

Satori threw his head back, crying out from the blinding heat and pain he felt. It hurt so fucking much! But by the same token, he found he couldn’t get enough of the sensation of finally being bonded to Wakatoshi and the moment he felt the bond hit, his own canines extended in preparation for Satori to return the bond.

Wakatoshi slowly pulled away, there was a small amount of blood around his mouth and it filled Satori with a small thrill to know that that was _his_ blood. “Are you alright?” Ah, trust Wakatoshi to be so concerned with Satori’s well-being when every one of Satori’s instincts was screaming at him to finish the bond.

“C’mere,” Satori whispered, watching as Wakatoshi nodded once and leaned down carefully. The Alpha growled as he felt his mate’s tongue lave at his own scent gland and quickly sunk his teeth against his throat, a place where all could see that Ushijima Wakatoshi was completely and fully claimed.

Wakatoshi hissed and cradled his mate’s head carefully, instinctively rutting inside Satori’s warm heat, thrusting with vigor until he finally released his knot inside Satori. This, this felt so right, to be forever bonded to this Omega, and as Satori eventually released his hold on Wakatoshi’s throat and stared up at the Alpha, Wakatoshi knew that he had made the right decision by agreeing to bond with his mate.

Satori gave a small grin, chest still heaving up and down from the heat, his eyes sparkling with pure joy. “Hey,” he murmured. “That was somethin’ else, wasn’t it?”

Wakatoshi’s response was to lean down and press a chaste kiss against his mate’s lips, one which Satori sighed happily into and wound his arms around the Alpha’s neck. Wakatoshi’s hands moved to Satori’s hips, quickly flipping the Omega over onto his stomach and smiling darkly at the surprised squawk Satori let out.

“We’re far from finished,” Wakatoshi let out a husky murmur into Satori’s ear. Satori shivered and bucked his hips against his husband’s.

 

* * *

_Two years later..._

 

Ushjima Usagi preened as she showed off her new volleyball, a gift from her parents for her fifth birthday. Her best friend, Iwaizumi Takato, watched with wide eyes as he studied the gift.

“Wow, ‘Sagi! That’s a real game ball, isn’t it?”

The little girl couldn’t help but give her friend a toothy grin and nod her head furiously. “Yup! Mama and Daddy got it for me since today’s my birthday!” It hadn’t been the only gift she’d received, but so far, the volleyball was her favorite gift. “We can toss it around later if you wanna!”

Every single year, Usagi’s parents gave her a birthday party, nothing too extravagant, but something that the girl could enjoy just the same. This year, she was able to see both sets of her grandparents, her mother’s brothers and all of her parents’ close friends and their families.

“Chibi-Usa,” Usagi’s attention was quickly diverted to her mother who was now waving Usagi over to a picnic table in the middle of the park. “It’s time for cake, then your dad and I have one more present to give you!”

At the mention of cake, all the children in the area scrambled to get to the table, eager to get a slice of Usagi’s birthday cake. Usagi licked her lips, eyes shining in anticipation for the cake she knew was going to taste amazing.

“Are you sure now is the best time to tell her?” Was the quiet murmur Wakatoshi asked against Satori’s ear, an arm sliding around his mate’s waist while he watched his daughter squeal and laugh with her friends.

“Course it is,” Satori snorted as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. His entire being was brimming over in eagerness, all too excited with the thought of giving his daughter her last present. “I think she’ll be more than a little happy with what we’ve got.”

Wakatoshi silently nodded and the pair silently waited for everyone to finish their cake. Considering the group of rambunctious kids of all ages, it didn’t take long for them to finish eating at all. Wakatoshi could feel the waves of anxiousness roll off his mate as he hurried to grab a small bag, ready to present it to their daughter.

“Alright, Chibi-Usa,” Satori knelt in front of his daughter. “Now your daddy and me got you something _really_ special.”

Usagi’s smile only widened as she reached for the bag, eager to see what was inside. She tore the paper out of the bag and looked inside before pulling what appeared to be a plain white t-shirt inside the bag. The little girl’s facial features scrunched into a look of confusion as she unfolded the shirt and studied the words on the shirt.

“Mama? What’s it say?” She looked up, hoping her mother would give her the answer she was looking for. Usagi was just learning to decipher the different kanji and she recognized some of the writing on the shirt, but not all of it…

“Hmm, well let’s figure it out together.” At Usagi’s quick nod, Satori pointed to the first syllable. “This word says ‘Big’.” He waited for Usagi to acknowledge that she understood that much before he pointed to the next syllables. “And these say ‘Sis-ter’.”

Wakatoshi watched with bated breath as Usagi mulled over the words before frowning and looking up, first at Satori and then at him.

“What’s it mean?”

Wakatoshi and Satori shared a glance before Satori ruffled their daughter’s hair. “It means,” he slowly began. “That you’re gonna be a big sister.” He got to his feet, pointing a finger to his flat belly. “Your little brother or sister is in here, and in a few months, you’re gonna be a big sister and help Mama and Daddy take care of them!”

It slowly dawned on Usagi what her parents meant and her mouth took on an ‘O’ shape. “Baby?” Usagi whispered before placing a hand tentatively against her mother’s stomach. “Really? There’s a baby in there?” There were several long moments when Usagi didn’t say anything and both Wakatoshi and Satori feared that she wasn’t happy with the news.

“I’m gonna be a big sister!” She squealed and threw her arms around Satori, nuzzling her cheek against his abdomen. “I’m gonna take good care of my brother or sister!”

Satori’s arms wound tight around Usagi. “And Mama and Daddy will love you both so very much,” Satori gave a choked laugh, trying to keep the happy tears at bay.

Wakatoshi let out the breath he had been holding, keeping a hand to the small of Satori’s back. He and Satori both feared that Usagi wouldn’t be happy at all with the fact she was going to be a big sister, they worried that she would be upset that she wouldn’t be the only child anymore. But seeing how excited Usagi was, Wakatoshi was more than pleased with the reaction his daughter had to the news of Satori’s pregnancy.

“But Mama,” Usagi’s face screwed up into a look of consternation, the wheels in her young mind going a thousand miles a second. “How did my brother or sister get in your tummy?”

Both Wakatoshi and Satori froze, giving each other looks of panic as they scrambled to come up with an excuse that Usagi would deem valid while at the same time not giving away the truth of where babies came from.

Satori blinked down at Usagi. “Uhh… W-Well, y’see… What had happened was…” Oh, hell. How were they going to explain themselves out of this mess?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I've had a pretty rough week this week and didn't think I'd actually get a chapter out. Guess the angst of my life currently was fuel for me to keep writing. Actually, it's a great distraction for me if anything. 
> 
> Only two more chapters now until it's all said and done. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, I really enjoyed writing this one. And I know I say that a lot, but I really mean it this time! Older Usagi is just too adorable for words!
> 
> I'm also not sure if I need to bump the rating to explicit thanks to that little bit of y'know. Let me know if it's more graphic than I originally thought it was and I'll gladly fix the rating!
> 
> PS my birthday is in a few days and I'm soooo excited! I'm so old compared to you little ones but I can't help but be excited for my 26th birthday! 


	25. Ever Since the Day You Put My Heart in Motion

Bright, amber eyes widened and Usagi watched everything around her with rapt attention. This year, the Olympics were being held in Athens, and with so much going on around her, it was almost too much for her seven-year-old mind to handle. She was so excited and so ready for the volleyball games to begin so that she could finally watch her dad in action. The only problem was that she had already forgotten where the private boxes for the family members of the team were, and she also lost sight of her mother, which was never a good thing.

“Usagi!”

And speaking of…

She blinked before half turning to find her mother hurrying to catch up to her, her little brother firmly attached to his hip. Her lips curled upwards into a grin and she waved at her mother. “Hi, Mama! Hi, Ichigo!”

The little boy squealed and waved a chubby hand at his big sister, though Satori appeared less than pleased at having to run to catch up with his daughter. “I keep tellin’ ya that our box is the other way!” He was huffing and trying to catch his breath.

“Tagi!” The two-year-old, a complete Wakatoshi lookalike, shrieked once his mother knelt in front of his sister and struggled against Satori’s grasp in an effort to get to his feet.

“But Mama, I just wanted to find the others before the game…” Usagi put on her best kicked puppy look, hoping that it would win her mother over and Satori would allow her to be on her own.

Apparently it wouldn’t work. “Oh no, don’t you give me that look,” Satori snorted, reaching out to pinch at his daughter’s cheek, to which Usagi let out a squeak and swatted at Satori’s hand. “You inherited that face from me, so don’t think you’ll be getting out of this so easily.”

Foiled again. Usagi huffed and grabbed onto her little brother’s hand. “But Mama,” Usagi whined again before pitifully trailing behind her mother.

Satori ignored the whining, opting to point to the group in front of them. “See, everybody’s already waiting for us! Don’t wanna keep ‘em, do we?”

Usagi peered around her mother, a smile once again on her face. It looked like everyone really was there! There was her Uncle Koushi trying to wrangle the triplets and get them under control.

“Let see now, there’s one, two… Girls, where’s your brother?” The two Sawamura daughters giggled, refusing to give up any information on their triplet, who was currently hiding behind a nearby trashcan, trying to scare their poor father to death.

Annnnd there was Uncle Keiji and Uncle Kenma with all their kids! Even Takato had shown up with his dad, so everyone was finally there! Usagi felt a hand rustle with her hair and she gave her mother a beaming smile.  

“Welcome to the 2028 Olympics! The first round of volleyball is set to begin shortly!” And suddenly, all eyes were on the box where the announcers were sitting.

“Alright!” Koushi clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention, and motioned in the direction their group was to go. “Let’s go ahead and head up to the box! We don’t want to get run down by the mobs!”

This was it. The games were finally starting and Usagi was practically shaking with excitement. Her grip on her brother’s hand tightened as she dragged him up the many steps that led to their box. It seemed like it took forever, but when they were finally led inside, Usagi immediately took a seat right in front of the windows. Nothing was going to keep her from watching her daddy in action!

Finally, she saw the familiar red uniforms of the national team and she was on the edge of her seat. The game began and Wakatoshi was set to serve first. Usagi held her breath as he threw the ball up into the air and jumped up, slamming the ball over the net and gaining the first point for their team.

Usagi jumped out of her seat and cheered. “GO DADDY!”

“Ya! Go Daddy!”

Usagi snickered at her brother’s enthusiasm, but her attention was quickly drawn back to the game and she watched with wide eyes as the ball was served again and volleyed back and forth over the net. It was intense, and she kept squirming in her chair the longer the game went on. It seemed like the sets would never end, until finally…

“WE WON!” Usagi threw herself against Satori, squealing in pure joy from the win.

Satori laughed and gathered both his cubs into his arms, holding them close. “This is only the first day Chibi-Usa, we’ve still got a lot more games to get through before we make the finals.”

“Don’t worry, Mama!” Usagi’s eyes were bright, hands planted to her hips. “Daddy’ll make sure the team wins the gold!” She had complete faith in her father, she knew he would do his best and they would keep winning and keep winning.

After all, he was her daddy. He was the best!

 

* * *

 

“Usagi! You almost forgot your bag!” Satori flung his daughter’s schoolbag at her, watching with a grin and thumbs up as she caught it with ease. No surprise there for Miracle Girl Usagi!

“Bye Mama! Bye Daddy!” Usagi jammed a piece of toast into her mouth, waving at her parents before rushing out the door to head to school.

“Be safe!” Satori called out, waving madly at his eldest child. “Call if you need us during school! You never know when a Kaiju’s gonna attack!”

“Satori, the likeliness of a Kaiju attacking their school is extremely low. And even if such a thing were to happen, I don’t believe Usagi would be able to call us if the school truly were under attack.”

“Ah, Wakatoshi-kun, ever the optimistic one.”

Usagi laughed at the long, audible sigh her mother let out. Her parents were seriously the best; they had one of the most loving unions she had ever seen, and with their large family, neither of her parents ever let any of their offspring feel unloved or ignored. They were as supportive and as caring as any parents could possibly hope to be, and Usagi loved them both unconditionally.

It was the first day of her junior high third year, and already her mind was filled with nothing but dreams of being accepted to Shiratorizawa the next year. It was going to be the best thing ever! She’d join the girls volleyball team, make lots of friends, and once she was at Shiratorizawa, the sky would be the limit.

Or so she hoped.

She hummed a soft tune before knocking on the front door of her longtime friend. “Come out, come out wherever you are, Ta-Ka-To~!” The front door promptly swung open and Usagi was met with the familiar face of Takato’s father. Usagi threw up a hand in a half-wave, smiling widely. “Yo, Dr. Iwaizumi-san! How’s it hanging?”

Hajime chuckled, shaking his head before opening the door to allow the teen inside. “Come in, Usagi-chan. Takato should be in the kitchen finishing breakfast.”

She chirped her thanks and kicked her shoes off at the door. Usagi hurried into the kitchen where she found Takato, just as his father said he would be, along with Takato’s mother sitting at the kitchen table. “Hey, Iwaizumi-san!” She gave a quick wave to Tooru before giving her full attention to Takato. “C’mon, Takato! We’ve gotta get a move on if we don’t wanna be late for our first day!”

The spiky-haired teen immediately whirled around, narrowing chocolate eyes at his friend. “I keep telling you to stop calling me that,” he mumbled under his breath before grabbing his schoolbag.

Usagi blinked, head cocking slightly to one side as she studied Takato. “What? Takato? But that’s your name! What else am I supposed to call you? I mean, I guess I _could_ call you Sasuke since you wanna act like a moody brat,” her eyes narrowed and a slow grin stretched across her face.

“Stop with the old anime references!”

“Never!” Usagi cackled and before Takato could stop her, she reached a hand out and mussed his hair up. “Let’s go out into the wild unknown!”

“It’s just our last year of junior high,” Takato muttered, unable to help the small smile that appeared. He gave a half-wave to his mother and followed close behind Usagi. “Bye, mom. I’ll see you after practice this afternoon.”

“Y’know,” Usagi slowly began as the pair began the trek out of the Iwaizumi household. “If it really bothers you so much that I call you Takato, I can always call you something else.”

Takato huffed. Usagi was one of his closest friends, and he always knew when she was up to something. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Oh, I dunno… Taka-chan doesn’t really suit you, so how about Iwa-chan?”

Takato opened his mouth to retort how stupid the shortening of his surname was, when the two teens heard a loud crash from the kitchen. They both froze in place and they heard the loud wail from the kitchen.

“I warned you this would happen, Hajime!”

“Calm down, Tooru! You know it doesn’t mean anything!”

“What did I do to deserve this?!” It sounded as though Tooru were inconsolable, for whatever reason.

Usagi let out a low whistle before clapping a hand against Takato’s back. “And you say _my_ parents are the weird ones…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed the Usagi-centric chapter! I love writing Usagi out, she's seriously so adorable! 
> 
> Ahhhh we're almost completely done, just the epilogue left and then all my time and energy will be focused on other stories. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and hope y'all enjoy the last chapter next time!


	26. Epilogue: Baby I'm So Glad You're Mine

Satori loved the rare moments when he woke up before his mate since it gave him ample opportunity to stare at Wakatoshi’s handsome features while he slept. Even after fifteen, almost sixteen years together, the Alpha never failed to take Satori’s breath away. They both were starting to get a little grey in their hair, and Satori complained about all the weight he had gained over the years, but Wakatoshi could just say one word, and Satori felt like the most attractive Omega in the world.

Grinning, Satori snuggled closer to his mate, placing gentle kisses along his jaw before slowly moving lower. If he played his cards right, then maybe he could convince his husband to completely rock his world before it was time to get the kids up…

It wasn’t long before Wakatoshi groaned and eyes fluttered open, and the Alpha was staring at his mate who gave him an unapologetic, beaming smile in return. “Satori, what are you up to?”

Satori tried his hardest not to shiver at the rough, husky tone his mate’s voice held, instead giving a choked laugh. “Huh, now why would you, the love of my life, ever think I would be up to something?”

His husband gave him a pointed look. “Satori…”

Before Wakatoshi could finish his thought, Satori quickly slid himself across his mate’s lap so that he now straddled Wakatoshi’s hips. He continued to give Wakatoshi his signature shit-eating grin before shrugging. “Oops! Now how on earth did this happen?” He tried to feign innocence and failed miserably. “Well, now that I’m up here, would you care to,” Satori paused, licking his lips and wiggling his hips against Wakatoshi’s. “Y’know.”

The Alpha remained silent for a few moments before surging upwards and immediately slotting his lips against his mate’s. Satori squeaked in surprise only to moan softly seconds later, carding his fingers through Wakatoshi’s hair and pulling him closer.

“Wa-Wakatoshi,” Satori mewled. “Nnn gotta hurry. K-Kid’sll be up soon.” The redhead whimpered as Wakatoshi began to nibble against his bond mark, gently laying Satori on his back. Satori’s heart began to pound and he actually began to believe that maybe, just maybe they would get lucky this morning…

A loud crash somewhere in the house had both Satori and Wakatoshi freezing in place.

“LOOK WHAT YOU DID NOW, TAMAKI!”

“Ooh, Mama’s gonna be mad at you!”

“I didn’t mean to! And be quiet! You’re gonna wake ‘Kasa!”

Satori groaned, praying that their three kids outside and obviously already awake would calm down in enough time before the mood was effectively ruined. A sudden, sharp cry from the baby monitor on Satori’s nightstand made Satori want to cry too.

“Would you like me to get her?”

Bless Wakatoshi. Satori huffed and nodded his head once before flipping onto his stomach and buried his head in the mountain of pillows on the bed. No matter what, Satori loved each and every one of his kids, but it sure made it hard to get in any alone time with his mate when they had so many running around.

Life had changed so much in the years since Wakatoshi and Satori mated. They moved back to Miyagi, wanting to give their children the experiences that they had had growing up, and the fact that Usagi had begged to move to Miyagi so she would have the opportunity to attend Shiratorizawa didn’t hurt their decision-making either. Satori easily found work at a local hospital, while Wakatoshi, who had retired from actively playing several years earlier, got a job offer to help coach the national team. He spent most of his weekdays in Tokyo and on weekends made the trek to Miyagi to be home with his family.

Satori suddenly felt a firm lump placed on his back and couldn’t help but smile at the high-pitched shriek that soon followed. Pulling his head out of the pillows and looking over his shoulder, Satori found their young six-month-old pup giving him a gummy smile. “Hey there, Mikasa. Did you decide to wake up and ruin Mama and Daddy’s fun?”

The Ushijima clan had been blessed with five children altogether: Usagi was already seventeen, then came Ichigo who had turned twelve recently, followed by Tamaki (who Satori had begged to name Naruto only to be shot down by his mate) their ten-year-old son, and then came Kenshin their precocious eight-year-old who loved and completely looked up to his older siblings. They thought after Kenshin that they were done having pups, but seven years after their youngest son had been born, Satori had been nothing short of flabbergasted when a routine doctor’s visit turned into a confirmation of his fifth pregnancy.

Each and every one of their children were so different from each other, both physically and personality-wise, but when you looked at all the Ushijima offspring together, there was no doubting that they were all from the same happy family.

“Satori, we do not want to miss Usagi’s team when they play their first game today. We should probably get everyone ready to leave soon.”

Usagi was a third year now at Shiratorizawa, the first Omega captain of the girls team, which was quite the feat for an Omega. Everytime Satori thought about the fact his firstborn, his little girl that completely changed his world would be graduating high school soon, he had to stop himself before he got too emotional.

“Yeah,” he murmured, smiling up at Mikasa. “We probably should, so I’ll let you wrangle the heathens out there while I get our little princess ready to go out!”

“BA!” The pup cried out at the sound of her name, smacking her hands against Satori’s back.

“And if we’re lucky, maybe my old man would be willing to look after all of you this next weekend. After all, I think your daddy and I deserve some time to ourselves. How does that sound, Mikasa? Would you like to see your grandpa?” Satori had fully reconciled with his family shortly before his mother had passed away years earlier. It had felt good to finally be on better terms with his mother, but Satori would never be able to forget all that she had put him through, even after all this time. He swore to be a much better parent than his own mother had been.

“Perhaps my mother could watch them if you want us to have a weekend without the children.”

Wakatoshi’s mother had been a godsend as much as she helped the pair out with their children. She loved being around her grandchildren and on the nights that Satori had extra-long shifts at the hospital and Wakatoshi was busy with coaching the national team, Atsuko had been there to help with no problem at all.

“Hmm… We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” Satori gathered Mikasa into his arms and blew raspberries against his daughter’s neck, relishing in the happy squeals the pup gave.

 

* * *

 

“Man, was it ever this crowded back when we played volleyball?” Satori craned his neck to get a good look all around the crowded gym at all the spectators in the stands.

Wakatoshi hummed noncommittally. “I’m sure that it was very crowded, people came from all places to see Shiratorizawa play during preliminaries and I doubt it would change much even now.”

“Mama, when’s Usagi gonna play?” Kenshin had one hand firmly grasped in Satori’s as amber eyes stared up at his mother.

“Mm, we’ll hafta check out the schedule and see when Shiratorizawa’s up! Shouldn’t be too long though.”

Satori and Wakatoshi led their family through the crowds of people, trying to find an area large enough for not only their family, but Eita and Hayato’s family as well.

“Hey! I think that’s Reon and Hana-chan!”

Satori waved madly at the pair with their two young sons, only to see Shirabu behind the family with his own little family.

“Look like it’s one big happy Shiratorizawa reunion!” Kenjirou rolled his eyes so hard, Satori thought he might actually hurt his brain.

The first games began shortly after Wakatoshi and Satori found their friends and Satori jumped to his feet as the Shiratorizawa players walked onto the floor.

“THERE’S MY BABY! THERE’S MY MIRACLE GIRL, U-SA-GI!”

A girl with long, red, braided pigtails turned and threw a peace sign up at Satori. “HIIIIIIIII MAMA!” Usagi had grown over the years and was just shy of 178 cm. She was a bright, bubbly girl that was extremely popular among her peers, even with her obsession with all things manga and anime-related. Everyone always commented on how she looked so much like her mother, but they never realized just how she was a carbon copy of Satori in personality as well.

Shiratorizawa was set to serve first and Usagi grabbed the ball, getting into position. Everyone watched as she took a deep breath before throwing the ball up into the air, jumping up and slamming the ball over the net. One point for Shiratorizawa.

“Ushijima! Ushijima!” The crowds cheered and chanted Usagi’s name and both Wakatoshi and Satori were filled with pride. That was _their_ daughter everyone was cheering for, and from what they heard, it was Usagi that was giving the girl’s team a chance to head to nationals.

Usagi screeched happily at the first point won and her teammates all hovered over her, telling her that she was doing a great job. Even though Usagi was an Omega, it appeared that nothing was going to stop her or slow her down now.

Satori’s hand reached blindly for Wakatoshi’s as the game continued, and once their fingers were laced together, he felt Wakatoshi gently squeeze his hand. Satori was completely enraptured as they watched their daughter play, and the longer he watched, the more points Shiratorizawa scored.

It was during the third set when the girls were all taking a short time-out that Usagi began to wave madly up at her parents and siblings. “HEY GUYS!”

Satori felt a lump form in his throat, managing somehow to swallow it down, along with the tears that threatened to fall. He grinned and waved right back. “Hey, Chibi-Usa!” Usagi beamed at the use of her childhood nickname and Satori wore a matching smile as he watched his daughter. “Give ‘em hell!”

Wakatoshi frowned. “Satori, I’m not sure that that is the best advice for-”

“You bet I will!” Usagi gave her mom a thumbs’ up before turning and running back onto the court.

Satori and Wakatoshi glanced at each other, the Alpha giving his mate a rare, warm smile before they both turned their attention back to the game. Satori leaned over and rested his head against Wakatoshi’s shoulder, sighing happily at the sounds of shoes squeaking and hands slapping volleyballs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... What can I possibly say now that Baby, Baby is finished? Not gonna lie, I cried a little as I wrote the last few paragraphs, because it's actually over. This omegaverse universe still has several stories and oneshots planned, but this is the first story I've published that I've actually finished and I could not be prouder of myself.
> 
> I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me and sticking with this story. If it weren't for you all giving me positive feedback and begging for more, I'm not sure I would have had the urge to continue with this story. I'm so happy with how this story turned out and I wouldn't go back and change a thing about it! 
> 
> It's bittersweet for sure to see this story end, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed this epilogue and I hope y'all will stick around as I try to finish my SemiGata side story, as well as stories for IwaOi and KuroKen and several others in the works. Follow me on tumblr to see updates about when I will post things, or just feel free to talk haikyuu!! or omegaverse to me! 
> 
> Thank you so much and I love y'all! ~loveandpeace aka Kay

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo this is my first ever HQ!! fic and I'm so obsessed with all the amazing A/B/O fics in this fandom and my favorite Shiratori baby Tendou~! He deserves all the love but he's got a bumpy road ahead of him in this fic, so I do apologize in advance for everything I'm going to put him through. 
> 
> Please let me know what you all think, but be gentle with my poor soul!
> 
> Feel free to scream about volley-dorks with me on tumblr!
> 
> http://love-andpeace.tumblr.com/


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